I am the Doctor
by GallifreyGryffindorGirl
Summary: ( Previously titled 'Lonely') Every lonely monster needs a companion, the Doctor hadnt been lying when he told Clara that a long time ago. Just as he is settling into his new regeneration, the Doctor convinces Clara to travel with him full time, but their first adventure goes awry and Clara is left caring for an even more unpredictable Doctor and her own changes...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

A lot can happen in a week. The Doctor never seemed too concerned about the time after he left Clara at her home. Actually Clara would not have been surprised if his previous self had just skipped from Wednesday to Wednesday without waiting for her just so it would seem like she was travelling with him every day. This new self… well she wasn't entirely sure if he even liked her company half the time.

Either way when the Doctor's TARDIS materialised in her sitting room right in front of her she did not budge. She had been sitting in the same state of impassive glaring which did not change when the Doctor finally appeared in the TARDIS doors to come see what was taking her so long.

"Clara will you hur-" he stopped talking, frown increasing as he looked at her on the couch. "What's wrong with your eyes they're all funny and red?"

Clara moved her head just enough to look up at him, still impassive. The Doctor took in her appearance. She was as neat and tidy as usual, big brown eyes framed by dark makeup though she still looked paler than usual. Oddly she had no colour in her outfit like she usually did, instead everything she wore from stockings to shirt was solid black.

"Where's your spark?" his frown practically took over his face, then suddenly vanished in an expression of realisation. "Oh Clara, your eyes aren't funny. You've been crying? Why are you crying?"

Clara looked away as she felt another tear escape her eyes. Funny, she'd thought herself cried out. The Doctor, surprisingly, knelt in front of her – but didn't touch. She wished he'd touch her. She wished that just for a moment he would be as comforting as his old self. "I had to go to a funeral." Clara finally found her voice to reply, but even that had no spark, it was just a ghost of its usual self.

The Doctors face seemed to be confused as to what emotion to give. Sympathy was one, worry another, but sadness was always on his face if you knew him well enough – and a thousand lifetimes of memories really made Clara notice. She was a little surprised when he covered her little hand with his own larger rough one, knowing that this Doctor did not like to be touched.

They sat like that for a little while, Clara grateful for whatever comfort the Doctor could offer her, but was startled when he suddenly jumped up and practically shouted "Tea! When someone is upset you should offer them a hot beverage. Would you like tea?"

Clara cracked a smile for the first time that day. "Tea would be nice."

When the Doctor came back having busied himself in the kitchen for a while – Clara sincerely hoped he had not made too much of a mess – he came back and handed her a cup of tea, and one for himself, he sat beside her as she took a sip. It was surprisingly nice. He must have paid a lot more attention than she thought when she made them both tea on the TARDIS.

They were in a companionable silence until something dark jumped onto the Doctors lap – he gave a yelp of surprise and jumped up throwing tea everywhere. Clara jumped up too – mostly from shock, though she did a much better job of not spilling her tea over herself like the Doctor had.

The culprit sat on the couch looking thoroughly confused at their reaction's.

"What the hell is that mini-beast?" the Doctor cried with irritation pulling at his soaked white shirt that was no doubt burning his skin just a little since he was pulling it away from his skin.

"It's a cat Doctor." Clara frowned. "Take off your shirt, you've nearly scolded yourself."

The Doctor threw an irritated look at her and at the cat but he obliged by removing his coat – which had miraculously avoided the tea soaking- Clara fetched him a clean shirt from her room while he removed the white one. She came back with an old shirt of her dads and handed it to him, taking the dirty one and throwing it in her washing machine for a quick wash.

"I hope this isn't a shirt of P.E." the Doctor grumbled. "I doubt he'd like me wearing his clothes any more than you dressing me up as him."

Clara hesitated in the kitchen for just a minute before she replied "Danny and I broke up a while ago. That's just an old shirt my dad left."

The Doctor was looking at her again now. "Clara, why didn't you tell me?"

She frowned. "I didn't think you'd care."

He was frowning again now. "Of course I would care, you're my Impossible Girl."

Clara smiled a little at that.

"This means I didn't get to comfort you and eat ice cream like you pudding brains do when you lose a mate. However that doesn't mean I get to miss the opportunity to hurt him if he hurt you. Did he?"

Clara glanced at the Doctors face then, trying to identify if he was kidding or not. There was of course a teasing glint in his eye – though it was accompanied by a serious glean in his blue eyes that told her the threat in his voice had not been imagined.

"He didn't hurt me no, but if you want ice cream I think I have some in the freezer."

The Doctor gave just a small smile "That's okay, bit nippy for ice cream. Since when did you have a cat?"

"He was my grandmothers…"

Dawning drew on the Doctors face when he realised why she had the cat. "Oh. So… I imagine you are not up to an adventure today?"

Clara looked away from him for just a moment. She didn't want to go run for her life on some distant planet today, but she didn't want the Doctor to leave either. Yet, he wasn't prone to staying in one place nor was he the comforting kind.

"Sorry Doctor, not today. Your shirt shouldn't take long to wash… you don't have to stay, you can go. I can get your shirt to you another time."

Neither said anything for a little while.

"So… what do you humans do to feel better when grieving?" the Doctor asked awkwardly rubbing the back of his head to break the silence.

Clara didn't give him a warning, she hugged the Doctor that did not like hugs and felt more than amused when he froze again. "Clara… still not really a hugging person…" he said.

"Well this is what humans do to feel better so hush for a moment." Was her reply, though she loosened her grip on him slightly letting him pull away if he wanted. He didn't seem to however, he closed his arms around her rather gingerly instead.

"Feel a bit better?" he asked when she finally let him go.

"A bit. Yes." She smiled a little "Does this mean you're not going to take your snog box on an adventure without me?"

"She is not a snog box." The Doctor grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets and not looking at her. "But I think I'd like to stay. Can't really have a Clara with no spark – have to make sure you get your fire back. You're very dull otherwise, and finding a new companion takes ages!"

Clara was pretty sure he was kidding her again, the glint back in his eyes. "Well, I'm going to get changed into something more comfortable. We could watch a film after that? Nothing historical or scientific or you'll never stop talking." Clara teased him back, distinctly remember the time she had been sick and he'd visited to pick her up while she was watching the Titanic and he had been insufferable about it's inaccuracy.

"I don't see why they make these films if they aren't going to be accurate." He grumbled back at her while she went to her room.

**~ O ~**

The Doctor had been feeling rather out of his element since he exited the TARDIS into Clara's flat and found her in such a passive state after their grandmother's funeral. He hadn't know the lady had passed – she'd seemed quite nice when he met her at Christmas, though that might have been because he was young and naked at the time.

Then there was the cat.

It was blue grey in colour and had blue eyes too. Normally he would not have cared much at all only the cat had insisted on sitting on his lap, curling under his hand and face insisting on being cuddled. No matter how many times he told it he did not cuddle. Clara of course found this all rather amusing – she did not believe him when he said he could speak cat either. No one ever did. However despite the cat's persistence he admitted it was nice for once to find an animal that quite liked its name and did not want him to tell the owner they'd changed it. Medea was quite a suitable name for a cat.

The news about her break up with Danny Pink had been surprising too. Some little part of him was more than pleased about it – enough that he no longer found himself calling him 'P.E' even though he was a maths teacher. He had not likes the way Danny seemed to criticised Clara's ability to follow his orders when they were trying to save the school from the Skovox Blitzer, he finally found a companion that listened (well, most of the time) who began to think that was wrong when Danny said so… his fist tightened in irritation at the memory, though he could understand Clara's want for a _normal_ boyfriend.

Sometimes he had to force himself to remember it was him who said he wasn't her boyfriend.

Because he wasn't. He had to remind himself of that too. But it didn't mean he didn't want her.

He glanced down at her now as they sat in her apartment – outside the wind howled and covered London in thick white snow, but they were snug and warm inside. She was asleep under a deep blue blanket, TARDIS blue he noticed with a slight smirk when he'd seen it, her head had fallen into his lap at some point and he wasn't going to move it, because while he was asleep he could feel free to allow her touch and tenderness without fear of judgment.

He admitted it was unusual to see her asleep. Of course he'd seen her sleep before, you didn't travel with someone for nearly two years and not see them sleep at some point, but it never failed to strike him how peaceful she looked compared to the wild flurry of emotions that passed her face with every waking second. It genuinely confused him that her face could pull off two contrasting expressions at the same moment.

He should leave. Before she wakes up.

But he didn't want too. The Doctor had found himself quite comfortable when she fell asleep half way through some stupid horror flick that she called 'Paranormal Activity'. He called it humans with pudding brains and a bad draft in their house. When her head had finally fallen into his lap the Doctor had to shift a little to accommodate her, his arm ended up over her shoulder tucking her closer to him, his other hand was absent-mindedly twisting her hair.

The cat was watching him. He could swear she was laughing at him.

It wasn't just about his wants though was it? While he didn't make a habit of slipping into a humans mind, let alone a companions, it was harder to keep himself from picking up things accidentally when he was relaxed and had skin contact with them, as well as a deep hidden curiosity. Just before she was truly asleep the Doctor had felt Clara's fear that when she woke in the morning he'd have vanished. He knew she didn't want him to leave – but he was surprised that she had a deep feeling of loneliness. Then again, she'd always said she was somewhat estranged from her father and her step mother and her grandmother was the only one she was really close with… and she'd just lost her.

If he stayed until she woke up maybe it would help her feel better? Less lonely?

The Doctor sighed letting his hand run through her chocolate brown hair one more time before his head fell back against the couch cushions. Just one night with neither of them being lonely wouldn't be so bad.


	2. Chapter 2

_Very short chapter, next one shall be longer - this is just to start of the story and get a feel of the relationship between Clara and the Doctor :) Plus I thought I'd add a few semi-fluffy funny moments just for fun ;) _

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

Clara woke up warm and content for the first time since her grandmother passing. She woke gradually, blinking as she realised she was on the couch facing the TV, which was still turned on, she could feel the cat Medea curled next to her belly.

She did not notice that her head was resting on someone lap until said someone spoke. "Why is this show called 'The Big Bang Theory' if it has nothing to do with the theory itself?" the Doctor asked, knowing she was awake without looking at her.

Clara froze when she realised her head was in the lap of the cold callous Doctor who usually rejected anything more than a hand-shake. She half expected him to jump up and roll her off him now that she was awake.

Instead, neither of them moved while waiting for her to answer. "Because the characters are scientists." Clara eventually replied, voice soft and tiered from sleep.

He snorted "If anything their knowledge is basic. The only one moderately smart is the long twig like one."

She smirked still half asleep and replied "Yes well, they aren't aliens with advanced technology nor do they have two thousand years of experience under their belts." She moved so that she was able to look up at him. He was leaned back looking far more relaxed then she'd ever seen him since his regeneration, eyes half lidded as though he'd only just woken himself. "Why are you watching The Big Bang Theory anyway? Never thought you one for a sitcom, thought you'd be watching the Discovery Channel or something."

"Can't reach the remote. Anyway your awake now so I don't feel bad about moving you." He said finally looking at her and moving his legs enough to make her sit up. "How'd you feel about getting breakfast? I know this great place on New New New Earth."

"That'd be nice" she smiled dislodging the cat from her lap. "Thank you Doctor" she said suddenly turning and looking him in the eye.

He gave her a wary look as he was half raised out of his seat. "For what?"

Clara shrugged as she stood, still wrapped in her blue blanket, "Just for being my friend. I know the comforting thing makes you uncomfortable now, so thank you."

She turned around to head for the bathroom, missing the Doctors small smile and muttered "Your welcome."

**~ O ~**

Clara was sitting in her kitchen on a Thursday night when she heard the TARDIS engines coming from her bedroom. Why the bedroom? Since his regeneration the Doctor had gone from landing outside her flat, to landing in the sitting room, to landing in her bedroom. It was very alarming to wake up to the Doctor throwing your clothes at you and yelling for you to wake up.

The last two weeks since he'd stayed the night to comfort her the Doctor had been asking her persistently if she'd come travel full time. Yesterday when he'd asked it had ended up in a big blow out when he'd threatened to find a new companion who did want to travel all the time. Which is why Clara was a fraction confused as to why he'd be back today – she was certain it'd be at least another few days before he calmed down.

Instead she watched from the kitchen table with one raised eyebrow as the Doctor stepped out of bedroom head looking left and right until he found her. She did notice that his hands where behind his back.

"Hey" she said, taking a sip of her tea and trying not to act like she cared if he was there or not. Of course a little part of her was more than happy he'd come back.

"Good morning." His voice still sounded a little tight and angry, so Clara didn't get her hopes up that he'd come to apologise or go on an adventure… which is why she was lost for any idea as to why he'd be here at all.

"You okay?" she frowned up at him, just a little concerned.

"Why wouldn't I be okay?" he snorted "Just because you are not there Clara does not mean my world goes to hell."

Her turn to give a withered look "Really?" she asked "Then why are you so persistent to get my travelling with you full time."

He just glared at her, Clara threw up her hands standing she asked "I don't want to fight. Do you want some tea? I just made some cupcakes." She knew he wouldn't say no, something she learned about this Doctor was that he had an enormous sweet tooth – which was good because she was always baking, honestly more than half of her confectionary creations where given to the Doctor. He even tried every single one of her burned soufflés.

Sure enough he nodded, pulled his hands out from behind his back to reveal the cat and sat it on the kitchen table while he took a chair. "I found this on my ship again. Please try keep her out, it's not a place for animals."

"It's not my fault, you said it yourself that the TARDIS must be letting her inside. It's not like the cat has a key." Clara rolled her eyes giving the miscreant cat a scratch behind the ears as she set down a plate of blue and green iced cupcakes on the table.

"Your cat, your fault." He replied helping himself to a cake.

While Clara had her back turned making the tea, the Doctor peered at the paper she had been writing on before he interrupted her. "What's this?" he asked picking up the paper only to have Clara niftily swipe it from his hands before he could begin to read more than 'dad'.

"It's not finished." Clara replied giving him a slight tap on the head as she walked behind him to reach the mugs for the tea.

"I did not ask if it was finished, I asked what it was." The Doctor replied swiping the paper back from her hand.

Clara grabbed at the paper but the Doctor held it above his head where no amount of grabbing his shoulders would allow her to reach. He had to resist laughing at her attempts anyway. She eventually gave up and gave an irritated glare as she brushed a misplaced hair from her face. "This is really immature you know." She told him with annoyance but ultimately she seemed to give up. "You're going to be insufferable about this, but it's a letter to my dad."

"Why would a letter to your dad make me insufferable?" the Doctor scoffed, he hadn't even looked at the paper.

Clara rolled her eyes, the probability that he had no idea what she had written was slim but perhaps he really hadn't read it before she took it from him. She didn't look at him as she said "I just wanted to explain to my dad that I was going travelling for a bit, and that he shouldn't worry about me I'll be in contact."

The Doctor paused. She wasn't looking at him as she handed him his cup of tea. "You're going travelling?" he asked, daring not to get any hopes up.

Clara gave him a look. "What, I finally decide to give in after you pester me for two weeks and now you're going to say you don't want me to come with you?"

"I didn't say that." The Doctor snapped a little, looking sheepish afterwards he continued "I wasn't sure you meant travel with me."

Clara gave him a quick grin, he hardly ever admitted to an insecure thought. "Of course I meant travel with you. Who else can show me the stars?"

"Well" the Doctor gave her back the letter with a smug grin. "Finish this so we can post it and get going."

"I just knew you'd get all smug about this" Clara grumbled. "I do have one problem however."

"What?"

"The cat."

"What about the cat?"

"I can't find anyone to take her in five minutes, and I can't leave her with my dad. He's allergic."

"Well it's not coming with us." He huffed. "I have enough trouble with just a human, I don't need a cat too."

"I'm sorry, did you just refer to me as a pet?"

He waved a hand as if to brush away her comment. "Not what I meant Clara." He looked around suddenly. "Where is the beast?"

"What?"

"The cat. Where is it?"

"If she is not on the couch or your lap which are her two favourite places then I'm going to say the TARDIS has probably let her in again."

He gave her a piercing glare, Clara held her hands up in response. "Hey it's not my fault your ship has suddenly decided to bring home its own stray. Maybe she wants a pet. Maybe she just likes cats. You're very much like a cat yourself."

The Doctor snorted as he leaned on the kitchen side. "I am not in any way like a cat."

"Yes you are. Cats have that all-knowing air around them just like you, they're graceful and independent – at times completely insane – very curious and stubborn. All traits that you possess yourself." Clara gave a grin as she finished writing her letter. "Makes me wonder if you'd purr if I scratched behind your ears."

The Doctor scoffed loudly and suddenly, folding his arms tighter. "I do not purr." He growled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Somehow the cat became a passenger on the TARDIS. It had not been a choice of the Doctors or Clara's – it had been the ship itself. Every time they tried to catch the damn feline the TARDIS would move and hide the room it was hiding in until they finally gave up. In the end the Doctor had given in and called irritably that if the TARDIS wanted a pet the TARDIS would have to take care of it – Clara had just laughed and brought on a bag of cat food.

Women would be the death of him.

At least Clara brought some short bread with her, he found that this mouth had quite a liking for short bread. Must come part and parcel with the Scottish accent. It was just a good job Clara baked short bread better than she cooked soufflés.

Speaking of… she'd been in the kitchen since they boarded the TARDIS and the scent of sweet things was filling the air.

What the hell was she cooking this time.

He stalked from the control room in time to find Clara in the kitchen, she was standing on a stool still straining to reach something on the top cupboard.

"Clara, you are going to fall." The Doctor said quite calmly announcing his presence and taking in the items on the white kitchen counter. She seemed to have been making cookies.

She looked over her shoulder as she balanced precariously on the stool. "I won't fall, though I bet I will fall if your ship keeps extending the height of this shelf – because I'm pretty sure that's what she's been doing."

"Maybe if you stopped calling her an 'old cow'…" the Doctor stroked the wall of his ship fondly and gave Clara a meaningful look.

"Oh please, I only call her that when she _is_ being an old cow. And even then she knows I'm being affectionate" Clara rolled her eyes, the Doctor didn't seem to understand how a woman's relationships could change and yet they could still insult each other near constantly – luckily he didn't need to understand for his ship to understand there was no animosity in Clara's insults.

The ship made an unidentifiable noise, possibly a humming laugh or agreeing noise.

"See?" Clara waved her arm "She agre-woah!"

As the Doctor predicted the stool toppled underneath her and she fell – right into the Doctor. He grabbed her by the tops of her arms to stop her completely falling flat on her face, rather she ended up with a face full of the Doctors chest. He glared down at her for a second, and Clara was sure her expression was a sheepish one, before he pushed her away from his body and righted her on her own feet. "I told you so." He said gruffly, though he suddenly leaned up to reach what she had been grabbing for – a bag of sugar – seemingly unaffected that he was pressing her body into the kitchen counter with his until Clara was well aware of every flat surface of his body flush against hers. She was sure the Doctor lingered a moment to long before he leaned back down and stepped away, handing her the sugar.

"I uh here" he handed her the sugar bag.

"Thanks. Would you like a cookie when I'm done?" Clara smiled brightly as she took the sugar ignoring the way she'd enjoyed his body against hers.

"Clara I still have the short bread. And the cupcakes. Honestly you bake so much I'm convinced you're trying to fatten me up."

"Well you couldn't blame me if I was, look at you!" Clara poked him in the side. "You're worse than a twig!"

"At least I'm not a midget." He shot back over his shoulder as he started to leave the kitchen.

"Five foot three is a perfectly respectable height, you're just a rake. A giant rake." Clara grumbled, going back to her baking.

She waited until the Doctor had well and truly left before she let out a sigh she'd held in and leaned back on the kitchen counter. Being that close to the Doctor had made her heart race. Since when had that happened? The only time her heart had pounded this heard because of the Doctor was when they were running for their lives.

But she knew this feeling, anyone would. She was attracted to the Doctor. She shrugged to herself, noticing the cat slink into the room, she was sure that whatever she felt for the Doctor was surely just a crush.

Her relationship track record did not uphold her crush theory. Her conscious suddenly decided right then was the time to remind her that everyone she'd ever dated other than Danny had been… well, older. Alright so she had a thing for a silver fox, was that really such a bad thing? Clara dragged a hand down her face. Getting attracted to the Doctor was not something she would allow herself to do.

**~ O ~**

He had succeeded in convincing Clara to come travel full time and yet he hadn't taken her on an adventure since she started living on the TARDIS. He'd reasoned that she would need a little time to adjust to the TARDIS's time schedules and constantly changing rooms. He was right of course, she lost her bedroom twice since Thursday. She also thought it had been a few days when it had been a complete week.

Clara found living on the TARDIS to be quite different to what she expected. She had hardly expected the Doctor to be a music fan, and yet she'd often found him in the control room fiddling with some kind of device listing to music varying from earth and not. Or she'd find him reading out loud in his new Scottish lilt in the library – when he was doing that Clara found herself wanting to hang around for a little while just to listen. He'd stop both of these when he realised she was in the room, giving her a shy smile.

However she had finally admitted the Doctor was right, it was taking her some time to adjust to the TARDIS's calendar.

Clara had gotten up that morning and after dressing and breakfast she went into the control room where she could hear the sound of some classical piano music. She found the Doctor lay on his back with his head and shoulders underneath the TARDIS console once again fiddling with something, but this time he was singing under his breath a melodic language she had never heard before and one that surprisingly the TARDIS did not translate. The cat was asleep on one of the high backed leather chairs.

"That's beautiful" Clara commented as she sat on the top of the steps closes to where the Doctor was working.

He must not have heard her come in over the music because he was surprised when she spoke, enough that he tried to look up at her but head butted the console he was underneath. He gave her an irritated glance as he shuffled out from under the console and sat up. "Thanks." The Doctor cleared his throat to remove any traces of shyness and embarrassment. He turned off the music with a lazy flick of the sonic screwdriver.

"Gallifreyan?" Clara asked with a frown. She had a faint memory of some Gallifreyan songs from her echo's time as a Timelady on Gallifrey, she could even remember the odd phrase or word from the language. She had a feeling the Doctor hadn't an idea how much she remembered from her echo's because he looked very surprised at her guess. "Lullaby wasn't it?" she continued with a curious frown.

"Was that a guess or do you actually remember things from being a Timelady?" the Doctor asked with his own curious frown.

"I remember some things." She smiled. "I remember that was a lullaby they used to sing to make children sleep."

The Doctor gave a slight smile as he returned to work under the TARDIS console. "It's one of the only ones I really remember." he admitted.

"What's it about?" Clara ventured to ask. "I can remember it but I don't remember what it means."

"It's about a little boy who doesn't listen to the rules and falls into the Time Vortex." The Doctor said after a moment.

"Well that doesn't seem like a nice lullaby."

"Yeah but it made sure the children listened to the rules." He snorted "Unlike your human nursery rhymes, they're just about little girls and boys getting eaten by wolves. It's highly unlikely for you to be eaten by a wolf."

"They have meaning though Doctor" Clara rolled her eyes "Little Red Riding hood shouldn't have been talking to strangers when her mother told her not too. And the little boy was told not to tell lies which is why when he told the truth no one listened."

The Doctor just snorted in reply as if he didn't believe her.

Clara rolled her eyes and stood heading for one of the book shelves where she ran her finger along the spines looking for something to read that wasn't some advanced science or mechanics. As she remembered the old Doctor at times like these would be quite happy to sit in a companionable silence with her as she read and he fiddled about with his ship, or more often she would leave him to his fun while she went to her room. Which is why she was surprised as she was leaving the console room when she heard him ask softly "Clara would you stay?"

"What?" she turned and frowned half sure she had misheard him.

She heard him sigh even if she couldn't see him "Would you come sit with me?" he asked again softly, as though admitting he wanted her to stay was some kind of secret.

Clara did not hesitate to walk over to where his legs where sticking out. She sat near his feet, back leaning on the railing as she opened the copy of children's fables she'd found on the shelves – probably the TARDIS put it there in light of their lullaby conversation.

They sat in silence for a bit longer, at some point the tip of the Doctors shoe started leaning against her knee as if he was checking she was still there, before he asked his voice still soft "What's your favourite lullaby Clara? From earth I mean, I haven't heard many."

Clara hesitated, she was mostly to curious about the Doctor's sudden interest in her but she did assume he'd have some other ulterior motive for asking her to stay as well as asking her that. "My mum used to sing me a lullaby when I was little. If I tell you it you can't say it was stupid or something okay?"

"I'll only say it's stupid if it is stupid."

"Doctor!"

"Alright fine, I promise."

Clara still hesitated. "She used to sing me a lullaby called 'A kiss when I Wake'."

"How does it go? I told you I haven't heard many earth lullabies."

"Doctor are you asking me to sing you a lullaby?"

"Yes." He didn't hesitate to answer and he didn't look at her either.

Clara put down her book and took a deep breath.

"_A kiss when I wake in the morning,  
>A kiss when I go to bed,<br>A kiss when I burn my fingers,  
>A kiss when I bump my head.<br>A kiss when my bath begins  
>A kiss when my bath is over,<br>My mama is as full of kisses  
>As a nurse is full of pins.<br>A kiss when I pull her hair,  
>A kiss when I play with my rattle;<br>She covered me all over with kisses  
>The day that I fell down stairs.<br>A kiss when I give her trouble,  
>A kiss when I give her joy;<br>There's nothing like mamma's kisses  
>To her own little baby girl."<em>

Clara stopped singing and was met with silence, not even punctured by the buzzing of the sonic or whirring of the TARDIS engines. Uncomfortable she said "The ending originally goes 'to her own little baby boy' but obviously I'm not a boy so she replaced it with girl…"

There was still a pause, and when Clara glanced up quickly the Doctor was just gazing up at the console. She was worried for a second she'd actually sang him to sleep until he suddenly seemed to snap out of his revere and said "It's nice. It's not boy falling into the time vortex, but I can image it being peaceful enough to send an infant to sleep."

Clara smiled and snorted giving his foot a push with her knee "You just can't say anything nice can you?"

"I said it was nice!" the Doctor defended.

Clara just rolled her eyes and dropped it before she made him say something worse. "What are you doing under there?"

"Just fiddling. Seeing what I can tweak."

"If I remember you've never taken any kind of TARDIS technician training."

"But you have." He looked down at her pointedly, clearly letting her know he to remembered that her echo had been the technician to point him in the direction of the type 40 TARDIS with naff steering.

"I don't remember much" Clara blushed. "What are you trying to tweak anyway? If you do something she doesn't like she'll probably electrocute you or something."

"Oh she's done that several times already." He said in a tone that made her understand how little he cared about the little zaps.

"And you're still fiddling?" Clara rolled her eyes as he began to shuffle back out from under the console again, apparently satisfied with his tweaking as he slammed the panel shut again. "Honestly can no man understand a woman's hints?"

The Doctor sat up, practically beside her now he looked at her with a slight smirk "I am not just any man, I understand a woman's hints, maybe I choose to ignore most of them. Anyway I know the TARDIS is only serious about not liking something when she turns of the gravity in my bedroom."

Clara couldn't help but grin at the sudden image of the Doctor floating around his room just when he'd tried to fall asleep.

"Now, how about an adventure?"


	4. Chapter 4

_We finally have some adventure here, told you I'd get around to the exciting after the fluff - hope its interesting enough for you ;)_

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><p><span><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

The Doctor had landed them on this planet nearly twelve hours ago. He'd noticed something was up almost as soon as they landed in the heavily posh city, Clara had noticed too of course – it wasn't hard to miss the way aliens in what she could only describe as posh business suits walked around _dragging_ another behind them by a _leash_ their ankles and hands shackled and throats bound in different arrays of jewel studded collars.

The Doctor had sent Clara to go ask questions. Even as he did it she knew it was a distraction so he could do the dangerous stuff.

Still Clara did as he asked because she was curious and thought for once going in with information rather than a half assed plan would be better for once. With some simple questions to what where obviously business workers Clara found that high level firms often had these slave pets. Usually they were of rare species – to show a business's rank and exclusivity – some with special abilities like telekinesis and shape changing, those where just the ones Clara had seen.

She had agreed to meet the Doctor by the rainbow water fountain in two hours.

It had been almost twelve.

Clara burrowed into the jacket she'd gotten from the TARDIS wardrobe, despite two suns this planet was cold. She'd not had time to ask the Doctor why before he'd gone missing.

_Stop it Clara he is not missing_, She scolded herself. This was the Doctor, he didn't go missing. Sure he vanished sometimes, saved planet on his own then re-appeared expecting her to applaud his brilliance and getting confused when she scolded him for running off on his own in case he gets hurt. _Just like now_.

Was twelve hours long enough to wait? On earth you had to wait twenty four hours before filing a missing persons report didn't you? Should she wait that long now?

She looked around, noticing the same four blue skinned aliens watching her as had been since she sat down. Clara glanced at the TARDIS parked across the square, far too uncomfortable to stay out in the open any longer.

She got up and started walking, keeping in the corner of her eye the four who'd been watching her. They moved too, each one coming towards her from a different angle. Panicked and full of adrenaline and worry as soon as she was ten paces from the TARDIS Clara made a mad dash, feeling a little stab of pain in her shoulder just as she fell through the door's that had opened automatically for her and shut with a final slam on the outside world as she fell on the metal floor. She reached over her shoulder to pull a black dart from her shoulder before she blacked out.

**~ O ~**

The Doctor was that his name?

The man with grey hair peered at himself with little curiosity in a metal side of the room he was held in. His head felt funny, heavy, with little whispers in his mind that told him things that meant nothing to him.

_I am the Doctor_. They said.

_Find Clara, keep her safe_. It said. He had no idea who Clara was.

He shook his head in attempt to get rid of the voices but it did little to help and inside irritated his skin where the metal of his red bejewelled collar was clasped tightly.

**COME**. A voice called into his head.

Obediently he got to his feet, staggering a little as the voice tried to tell him _no_ but nothing got in the way when the master called.

**~ O ~**

Clara woke groggily on the TARDIS floor suddenly to stare up into a pair of big blue eyes. For a thrilling second she thought the Doctor had indeed come back, however she blinked again and found they belonged to the cat who yowled loudly and stalked off towards the control panel.

Clara groaned and pulled herself up, feeling nothing but a giant ache in her shoulder.

"How long was I asleep?" Clara asked, knowing the TARDIS would answer when her precious timelord was missing.

Of course the ship answered by bringing up video footage on the screen with a time stamp, fast forwarding three hours until Clara had woken. Clara rubbed her shoulder counting in her head "That means the Doctor hasn't been back in almost fifteen hours, and I'm betting now we get to start worrying right?"

The ship groaned.

Clara glanced at the gooey panel the Doctor had once stuck her hands in on an adventure to find what lurks under the bed – she still hadn't told him it was her under his bed as a child and she had a right mind to never tell him under any circumstances, ever. She brushed her fingers over the telepathic interface and felt it try to suck her hand in eagerly – which it had not done before. "If I used this interface, can you track down the Doctors location _now_? Not like the Doctor before he was the Doctor or god forbid one of his other regenerations?"

The TARDIS rang, almost as if it was annoyed she asked.

Deep breath, Clara stuck her hands in the goo and watched the cat run off startled as the engine suddenly burst into life faster and louder than Clara had ever seen before. The TARDIS defiantly did not like it when her pilot went missing.

When she finally landed it was eerily quiet.

Clara hesitated before poking her head out of the door. It was empty beside a few women asleep on the floor, all of them similar to the status slaves she'd seen walking around earlier – only these women where dressed in skimpy bikini's as well as their shackles and collars.

Clara headed back into the TARDIS. "Alright he's not out there, are you trying to tell me something?" Clara asked – she had to admit it seemed entirely likely that if she just sat in this room of obvious damsel's in distress that the Doctor would turn up at some point, it was practically his job description.

However for once the TARDIS came through with a clear answer. As she was walking by a draw suddenly sprang open fast enough to just clip her thigh and get her attention. Happy for the answer Clara rifled through the draw, smile fading when she pulled out a bikini similar to the ones the girls outside where wearing as well as a similar collar, shackles and rather interestingly a petite sonic screwdriver.

Clara looked up at the console "You have _got to be kidding_ me…"

**~ O ~**

The Doctor sat like an obedient pet beside his master, a large yellow-blue gentleman native of Raxacoricofallapatorius here in the city on business, a larger company was selling shares and people from this planet at the next had come to invest in the future fuel business.

Their host rang a bell and other slaves came into the room of all species holding platters of food and drink for the guests. He noticed one of the girls though he did not show his reaction. She had big brown eyes that showed an emotion her face did not. How was the possible? She glanced at him and her already big eyes widened. Curious.

The voice came back to his head. _Save Clara_. It demanded, louder this time.

He squashed it as his master's voice over took. **Fetch me refreshment**.

He stood, walking almost robotically to the wide eyed girl and she stiffened. Had her master told her to stand still at his approach? He watched her as he took a plate from her tray, admiring her, before returning to his hungry master obediently.

**~ O ~**

Clara had hesitated when the Doctor had approached but just like when she entered the room his eyes and face remained blank and expressionless. Unless this time around he was a significantly better actor, there was something truly wrong with the Doctor and these collars the slaves were made to wear.

Clara followed the lead of the other girls, leaving when they did too – rather reluctantly – of course. She was looking over her shoulder when the girl in front of her stopped suddenly, turned and shoved her down another corridor just as some armed guards walked by their little hiding place.

"You came out of that blue box, you're not one of us. Is your collar faulty too? Are you undercover? Are you here to help us?" the girl, nearly a foot smaller than Clara and not possibly more that sixteen, asked in hurried hushed whispers.

"Your collar?" Clara pulled the girl away a fraction but also spoke in whispers. "Is it the collars that are keeping you all like this?"

"Yes ma'am" the girl nodded frantically "They crush your mind, leave it open for your master. Fortunately sometimes they malfunction and we break free – though you don't always survive the malfunction when it pulls out of your mind."

"My friend is in there" Clara pointed back to the room "He can help, but he has one of those collars on."

"Then he's not going to be any help until you can get it off Ma'am, and then only if he survives it."

Clara hesitated. Basically mind control – the Doctor certainly wasn't going to like that. Why did that intergalactic idiot have to go off on his own and land himself in this? This was going to be the last time she let him split them up when something was clearly wrong. "My name's Clara, and I'm going to get you out of here."

"Berryli." The girl answered.

"Alright, we're just going to wait here until they bring my friend out. Do you know where the slaves sleep or do they live with their master?"

"Slaves are given a separate room beside their masters." Berryli replied nodding.

"Okay, then we are going to wait until everyone is asleep." Clara settled on the floor, thankful this planet seemed to have missed out of the rule that spiders must always build huge webs in such small dark spaces. "Where are you from?" Clara asked the girl trying to keep her calm.

"Espara. They took me on my birthday, when I was named." Berryli sniffed a little. "I want to go back to my mum and dad."

"Don't worry Berryli." Clara covered the girls hand with her own. "We get my friend out, then we will get you home. I promise."

**~ O ~**

His master had told him to go to sleep. So why was he awake? Was he not supposed to sleep?

The Doctor was lay on his back staring up at the ceiling. His collar was cold on his neck, heavy enough to restrict his breathing somewhat. Maybe that's why he couldn't sleep? He rolled over onto his side, just as his door creaked open.

That wasn't his master, his master would just call him if he needed him. Anyway, master had been asleep for a while – he could feel that in his head.

Instead two of the serving girls from earlier had crept into his room. One was merely a child, her body emblazed with pink swirls against her pale skin, blue eyes wide and scared as she stared at the Doctor. The other was the wide eyed brown haired girl he'd noticed earlier. She was significantly short too he noticed, did that make her a child too? His eyes roamed her body, no she was certainly not a child. They wore collars too – he wondered if their master had sent them here for some reason.

"Doctor?" the brown haired girl asked as she approached, bare feet barely making noise of the wood floor. She had tiny feet too.

He sat up, she'd called him Doctor, it really must be his name if someone was calling him it. "Yes?" he asked, voice sounding strangled.

The girl hesitated. "Doctor, do you know who I am?" she asked as she worried her lip.

"No. You were a serving girl here." He replied, was he supposed to know her? His master would lash him if he got something wrong again.

"His collar is still functioning" the child said "he won't know who you are unless his master orders him too."

"Your collars are not working?" he frowned. He should report that to his master that these two where faulty. But for once he listened to that other voice that was not his master. _Protect her_.

The girl ignored his question about the collars. "Doctor it's me, Clara. Do you really not remember?"

_Clara. Clara Oswald._

_Oswin._

_Impossible girl. My impossible girl. _

"No." he answered.

She looked upset, there was no hiding it, but she suddenly stood straighter – though she was still small – she took another step towards him, and he pulled away a fraction. She hesitated watching his face but this time when she moved forward he allowed her to touch his collar. She struggled with it for a second as she pulled the metal – suddenly she hissed and pulled away holding her hand.

There was a deep gash in her palm where one of the jewels had dug into it. Suddenly a golden glow swarmed around her hand and she looked up alarmed throwing her hand out – but the glow followed.

"What's that?" Clara asked her voice scared and unsure.

"Nanogene's" the Doctor and the child answered at the same time, but he was the one to explain what they were "sub-atomic robots that are currently healing your wound. This building is full of them, they activate as soon as someone is injured."

"Handy. No point having an injured servant." Clara mumbled under her breath watching fascinated as the nanogenes worked on her hand.

The Doctor stared at her face rather than the little bots. She looked utterly transfixed, her expression was - dare he say adorable – as her eyes widened again and her mouth opened a little just to show the tips of white teeth and a pink tongue. She caught him staring, he tried to look blank like he should. If his master could see him now he'd get lashed.

"They are not supposed to work on servants, otherwise lashings would not be a deterrent." The child spoke.

Clara's expression changed from curious to furious. "They _lash _you?" she practically growled.

The Doctor and the child nodded.

"Alright that's it, Berryli you said you know where the Collars are made? If we go there we might be able to find a way to get them off from there. This thing doesn't work on them." Clara was waving a small cylinder device which she promptly dropped down the shirt of her bikini again as she suddenly looked and then pounced on the Doctor, rifling through his jacket pockets until she pulled out a larger version of the device. She pointed it at Berryli's collar and pressed a button, but the collar did not budge. Clara shrugged as though she had not expected it to work before she put it back in his pockets.

The Doctor had remained very stoic in the whole touching affair.

"Come on, this way." Berryli headed toward the door.

Clara had taken the Doctors hand but felt it tighten around hers and pull her back before she could leave. She waved for Berryli to wait a second and turned back to him. "Doctor?" she asked looking up at him.

"You can't go." He said holding her hand tighter. "If you get caught you'll get lashed, you'll get worse if they know your collar is not working."

"How will they know my collar is not working?" Clara hooked her eyebrow at the Doctor. He had pulled her awfully close to him, but it was interesting to see him seem so raw and acting off of only his own basic thoughts because the bigger complicated ones where trapped. "Are you going to tell them my collar doesn't work?" she asked him sweetly knowing there was still some of her Doctor in there.

"I – no –but…" he stuttered.

"Come with me Doctor. You can keep me safe, I promise." Clara murmured to him sweetly, knowing it was wrong to play on this part of him that surfaced above the collar but unable to resist – after what Berryli said about the collars when they come off she was reluctant to let him out of her sight again.

"I- okay." The Doctor nodded and agreed. For once the little voice in his head that was not the masters was silent, satisfied with his answer.

Berryli led them down halls and stuffed them in little cupboards and tiny gaps whenever someone came that could catch them. She had obviously been wandering around for a while with her collar inactive because she knew the place like many people knew their homes.

They finally came to a set of locked double doors. Clara made the Doctor back up a bit since he seemed to think protecting her involved plastering himself to her back so that she could retrieve the miniature sonic from the bikini top without flashing him. She unlocked the door and hurried them all inside.

A dark room illuminated only by several giant computer screens and a tank of dancing sparking clear and gold substance that to Clara's eyes did not quite looking like gas or liquid to her eyes. Several armed guard where waiting for them, alongside the man Clara knew owned this building – she had been acting as his servant earlier and Berryli said his name was Anyah's - and for a dreaded second she thought somehow that the Doctor had betrayed them in his controlled state.

"You three really should have thought that we would have tracking on those fancy collars of yours." Anyah's drawled lazily, a long tongue flicked out from between his purple lips. "Except for yours, a remarkable replica."

"Thank you." Clara replied in that sweet voice every woman could use when she was furious.

"Quite alright dear, thank you for brining me these defects to be incinerated." Anyah's replied. "I knew sweet Berry's collar had been defected for a while, but she was so compliant to carry on her duties I thought I would not need to reactivate it. Pity, thought I might have a loyal servant for once. Your friend on the other hand, his mind is just far to advanced for even the Huon mind control. We thought we could make it work by cranking up the power on his collar, nearly completely embedding his mind with the collar, but it does not appear to have worked."

The Doctor had told her once about Huon energy particles, they were so dangerous that the only place he knew to have them now was the TARDIS' core. No wonder the collars where capable of destroying the users mind when deactivated.

"Huon?" Clara pointed to the gas-liquid substance in the tank. "Really, selling off poisoned slaves?" she asked in her braves voice doing her best to imitate the Doctor's usual confidence as she stalked forward to further inspect the tank completely ignoring the armed soldiers.

"The slaves are only mildly poisoned with a slight dosage and then immunised against further doses every three weeks to ensure they survive exposure" Anyah's explained confidently. "This tank is mostly just a power source keeping all the collars active." He threw her a glare then "Any attempt to destroy the tank might free some slaves sure – but it is more likely to kill them, especially your friend."

Clara glanced back at the Doctor – she needn't have because he'd stepped closer to her while Berryli remained frozen where they had stood when Anyah's confronted them. Could she risk those innocent lives, the Doctors life? Was it better for them to remain compliant slaves with little to no free will for the rest of their lives than it was for them to be dead? Internally Clara sighed, the choice was clear of course. She swiped a gun from the stoic solider she was stood near before anyone could react she shouted "It's worth the risk, better dead and free than alive and trapped inside your own head!"

"No! Stop!" Anyah's cried desperately, too late to stop her Clara had fired a shot already at the tank – a hole busted in it and the lights suddenly sucked towards that hole and extinguished, before flying out in what she could only call an explosion. It hit her, and her entire body erupted into burning flesh. Clara tried to scream but it was like her voice was blocked. The light had passed as quickly as it came over her body – though she was now dancing in little gold lights as nanogenes did their best to repair her blistered skin.

She blinked through her tears and saw Anyah's on the floor away from her – he did not look like he would be getting up again, a large chunk of glass from the tank was embedded in his stomach.

The burning began to pass, she saw the blisters on her skin begin to vanish as the nanogenes did their work. Her eyes began to focus more clearly on the Doctor and the soldiers now who were blinking as though waking from a dream.

The Doctor frowned at her just a bit before his face suddenly sank. Clara barely had time to stagger towards him in her own pain before the Doctor – and the soldiers behind her – fell on the floor and screamed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Clara hurried to the Doctors side as he lay on the floor no longer screaming but holding his head, mouth open as though in a silent scream, and pressing the balls of his hands into his temples tightly. Some of the soldiers where fairing no better, though some where just looking utterly bewildered, and Berryli was doing her best to pacify the ones closest to her. Clara tried to wave the pesky nanogenes from in front of her face so she could see the Doctor clearly and cursed this stupid ships programming that prevented the nanogenes from helping the Doctor.

"Doctor, Doctor can you hear me?" Clara asked as she stood over the kneeling Doctor.

He almost knocked her over when he lunged forward suddenly, hands grabbing her hips as he buried his face into her belly but didn't make a sound. Clara assumed this was not a good sign because her Doctor was unlikely to be that forward with skin to skin contact let alone when she was dressed solely in a bikini. "Clara, my Clara, it hurts!" he mumbled suddenly against her skin so quietly she barely heard.

Clara was still feeling a warm tingle on her skin from the Huon energy blast and the nanogenes repairs even as they began to finish healing her. She guessed the blistering burning she'd experienced was nothing compared to having something rip its grubby fingers out of your mind but she understood where the Doctor was coming from.

More soldiers suddenly marched into the room, though they lowered their weapons when they saw the scene in front of them. Clara figured they were probably some kind of police from this planet because they were quick to come to the sides of the recently released soldiers and begin administering sleep patches. Clara had her hands on the Doctors shoulders when one of them came over and attempted to stick a patch to him, but she dragged the Doctor closer to her protectively "No, I'll look after him. Those patches don't work on him anyways." Clara explained trying to remain polite.

The alien looked a lot like a little bird, complete with yellow feathers and when she spoke Clara half expected her to sing. Instead she asked in quite clear English – probably thanks to the TARDIS's translation matrix of course – "You freed them?"

"Yes"

"Thank you. We have been trying to infiltrate this base for months, until you disabled the shields we were unable to penetrate this building."

Clara nodded, her attention mostly focused on her Doctor who clung to her like a scared child on his first day at school. "Doctor can you stand for me please?" she asked gently, quite enough so only he could hear her.

"Oh Clara!" the Doctor groaned using her body to pull himself up, eyes tight shut and face grimacing in pain. "Clara it hurts… my head…"

"I know, it hurts…" Clara soothed him, running a hand through his hair and using the same soothing voice she had used on the kids when they had chicken pox. "We just have a few more things to do and then we will get you somewhere safe alright? Does that sound okay to you?"

The Doctor nodded now his full height though still hunched over a little and leaning almost completely on Clara, who was waving to Berryli. "Doctor this is the girl that helped us, her name is Berryli. We're going to drop her off home alright?"

"Hurts." Was all he whimpered back quietly. Clara's heart broke at the sound.

It took all of Clara's strength to help the Doctor stagger back to the TARDIS, who opened her doors automatically and wined when they stepped over the threshold as if she could feel the pain the Doctor was in. the ship's engines started before Clara could press any buttons. "Berryli" Clara called, voice strained as the Doctor still leaned on her. The girl had been looking around the ship in amazement, but she turned her wide eyes on Clara and the Doctor at the mention of her name. "Come here, put your hands in there and think about home – nothing else, just home and your parents. If she's not feeling too temperamental the TARDIS should bring you straight there." Clara glared at the console as if daring the ship to take them anywhere else before taking this child home.

"Wont" the Doctor breathed in her ear, his breathes had gotten deeper while they were walking and he no longer scrunched his face in pain. Clara didn't know if that was good or bad.

Berryli did as instructed and Clara lowered the Doctor into the leather chair near the bookshelves – though he did not remove his hand from hers and Clara squeezed his hand gently in reassurance sensing that was what he needed at that moment though her eyes remained on Berryli who looked positively giddy as the ship's engines sounded louder than before and then just as suddenly stopped. Berryli glanced at Clara, who gave her an encouraging nod.

Berryli bounded to the TARDIS door and pulled it open using her hand to shield her eyes from the sudden bright sunlight she grinned and turned to Clara "I can see our farm, and my mum and dad!" she beamed.

Clara didn't have to say anything to encourage the girl to go. She would have loved to stay and watch the happy family reunite however the Doctor was not ready to release her hand and the TARDIS had other ideas. As soon as the girl left the door slammed shut and engines started again. They had barely two minutes of flight before she landed again.

Clara had to coax the Doctor into standing and leaving with her again, she hadn't any idea how she predicted it but Clara had already known they'd landed outside her apartment building. The one time Clara would not have minded the ship landing in her apartment and it lands outside – maybe it was only during manual flight under the Doctors hand that it materialized in her home.

It took some doing but Clara eventually got the Doctor up the stairs and into the apartment – pushing past a small build-up of mail that was behind the door indicating she'd been gone a while. It was only when she smiled at her neighbour shocked bringing his shopping in that she realised the Doctor was still wearing his bejewelled collar and looking more than a little dishevelled and that she was wearing the bikini and her skin was slick with sweat from lugging the Doctor up the stairs. "Costume party – someone had too much to drink." Clara lied as she slammed the door quickly on her neighbours face.

Clara led the Doctor through to the bathroom, where she sat him on the side of the bath tub. It took a little manoeuvring but she had the collar off soon and threw the damn thing into the trash can. Next she turned on the shower and let the water heat up a bit. "Doctor I'm going to let you get washed up a bit okay?" she asked as if speaking to a child. He'd been awfully quiet. He stared at her and nodded – when she left she didn't shut the door completely, just in case.

Clara changed into a pair of raggedy pyjama shorts and an oversized shirt in record speed throwing the bikini into the corner of her wardrobe – as nice as the garment had been she had no real desire to see the thing ever again. She was about to go check on the Doctor when she caught her reflection in the vanity mirror and couldn't help but hesitate.

The nanogenes had done a good job repairing her skin from the Huon blast – she had only seen her hands red, burned and blistered of course but she had assumed the rest of her skin was in a similar condition. It looked fine now, all of her did, maybe a bit paler than usual but the only real difference Clara could see was in her eyes. She had to make them wide and stare closely in the mirror but she was sure that in her brown eyes she could now see tiny flecks of gold. Maybe she was just that tired. She broke out of the stare when she heard the shower shut off.

"Clara?" she heard him call, his voice still just a ghost of what it usually had been. She tried to resist running to his side in worry and mostly managed – by mostly she meant she walked to him in a worried panic rather than ran, pausing only to knock on the door and ask if he was decent before she opened it.

He was standing under the shower frowning looking lost and confused in dripping wet clothes, silver hair plastered down to his head and in his eyes making him look more forlorn than before. "Bitey." He said, which Clara had learned since his regeneration was his favourite word for 'cold'.

"Of course your cold, you're in wet clothes." She sighed, turning to rummage in the bathroom cabinet where she knew her dad had left some old clothes from his visits a few months back, before he'd moved in with his new wife. "Here, get changed." She handed him an old rolling stones shirt and some white jogging bottoms. "I'll hang your clothes up to dry, I don't trust that jacket in a tumble dryer."

She tried to speak normally to hide her worry. She wasn't sure she was successful. She waited outside the door until the Doctor had changed and picked his wet clothes up from the floor and hung them on various radiators around the house. "Would you like a cup of tea?" she offered.

The Doctor just gave a confused frown.

"Are you hungry?"

His face remained the same.

Clara sighed. "Alright I'm going to give you the bed, I'll stay on the couch." She said pointing him to the bedroom where she ended up entering first anyway absolutely dreading that she'd forgotten to make the bed before they left a while ago. Luckily she had and the Doctor lay down in it without a sound as she closed the curtains. "Do you need anything?" She asked already wistfully thinking of the couch.

The Doctor looked at her, he still had an expression of confusion. "Clara it still hurts." He mumbled.

She pitied him and wished she knew if human medication would work on the timelord though she didn't want to risk making him any sicker. She came over and again ran her hand through his silver hair trying to sooth him like he was a sick child. "I know, try get some sleep though it might make you feel better okay?" she said in that voice you use to convince a child to sleep.

The Doctor reached up and grabbed her hand pulling her into the bed with a yelp. "Stay, I don't want to be alone. I can see things." He said moving over a fraction.

Clara hesitated, but was quickly swayed by the softness of her bed underneath her and that coaxed her tired body and mind. She wasn't going to even comment on how good it felt to have the Doctor curled towards her, especially when she knew he'd probably wake up and flip out about how he doesn't like to be cuddled. Plus as always she was curious. "What things can you see?" she asked as she shifted to be comfortable in the bed, lying on her back to look up at the ceiling she was more than shocked when the Doctor curled towards her lying his head on her shoulder.

Clara gasped as images suddenly crashed into her mind almost crushing it. she saw Dalek's, Gallifrey in the midst of the time war, she saw countless other wars she could not identify, she saw people she hardly recognised from the Doctors time stream, alien species she couldn't name, but mostly she saw pain and loss and loneliness before something in her snapped back deciding that feeling of utter hopelessness was enough and her own mind, warm and loving, curled around these images and did its best to lock them away.

At her side the Doctor stiffened, feeling her soothing mind curl around his own currently fragile one was interesting and for once soothing. After a few moments he relaxed fighting every instinct in him to banish Clara's mind from his own and sever that link between them and instead he fell into an un-fitful sleep for the first time in centuries.

**~ O ~**

Clara was woken to knocking on her front door.

Groggily she tried to roll out of bed, but was only successful once she peeled the Doctors arm from her middle. She was more than tempted to just curl back into his arms, but she recognised the pattern of the knock on her door and was eager to see her dad. She left her bedroom door a tiny bit open, not enough that you could see inside, not wanting her dad to see the Doctor in her bed before the timelord had even woken and get the wrong idea.

She had to move the mail from in front of the door before she could open it, saying "Hang on!" in a loud whisper, she noticed the date on the envelope would make it a month since she had left with the Doctor and told her dad she was going travelling. He knocked again and Clara sincerely hoped he had not brought her step mother – she could not handle that at the moment.

"Hey dad what are you doing here?" Clara yawned as she opened the door, setting her mail on a table by her keys.

"Asked your neighbour to call me when you came back. Your decision to go 'see the world' was very abrupt sweetie." Her father answered as he came inside and enveloped her into a hug.

"That's a bit stalkerish dad."

"I'm your father, I'm allowed my little overprotective tendencies." He assured her, heading straight to the kitchen to make tea the same way he always did when he visited.

"So is there a particular reason for your visit?" Clara didn't want to sound rude, but now was not the best time for her dad to come have a heart to heart chat while there was a possibly sick and defiantly unconscious alien in her bed.

"Well I just wanted to visit my daughter!" her dad huffed as he waited for the kettle to boil. "I am curious as to where this sudden urge to travel came from. And where have you been, anywhere fun?"

"I uh… Scotland?" Clara panicked. "Yeah just went around Scotland for a few weeks, didn't want to head abroad immediately."

"Scotland, beautiful place." Her father nodded approvingly and handed her a cup of tea, sitting down at her kitchen table. "So what convinced you to travel?"

"Oh just a friend suggested I try it." Clara shrugged "Anyway it would be nice to fill mums book with 101 places I've seen before I die, like she wanted me too."

Her dad gave her a proud smile "That would be great, really great Clara."

There was a loud thud from Clara's bedroom.

Her father's smile slid and Clara fought hard not to blush.

The silence was broken when her dad cleared his throat "So, uh, guess I don't have to worry about you traveling alone then?"

"Dad!" Clara was horrified and her dad gave a laugh at her reaction. She was already standing to go check on the Doctor anyway, but she paused to say "It's not like that. We got back last night and he was very sick."

Her father's smile slid again "he?"

"Oh don't go overprotective father no me now" Clara said rolling her eyes as she left the kitchen though she knew her father would never do more than as embarrassing questions. All her life her father had let her deal with boys on her own, she remembered when she was ten and he taught her exactly how to much a boy on the nose, but other than that he hardly ever got like other dads.

Clara closed the bedroom door behind her when she entered in an attempt to stop her dad over hearing anything. She wouldn't be too surprised to find him with his ear against the door when she left.

The Doctor was sitting up looking very guiltily at a lamp on the floor that he'd obviously knocked over somehow. "Sorry" he mumbled.

"Its fine, cheap lamp." Clara waved away his concern picking up the lamp and righting it onto the side table again. "How are you feeling?"

"Fuzzy" the Doctor was holding his head again. "I think you destroyed some of my neurons when you destroyed that device. Might take a while to heal properly."

"Sorry?" Clara frowned, how where you supposed to apologise for destroying someone's neurons?

He waved at her "Don't be, I'd rather be a pudding brain like you humans than experience that kind of mind control again." He replied darkly.

"That bad?" she winced. He didn't reply, just gave her a dark look to match the tone of voice, she winced again.

"Clara are you okay in there?" her dad's voice called through the door. She was thankful he didn't just open it.

"Who's that?" the Doctor frowned, his entire body had tensed. She recognised that pose, it was the one that people pulled when they were ready to bolt.

"Calm down, it's just my dad. He came to visit when he knew I was home." Clara said, daring to place a hand on his shoulder expecting him to shake it off now he seemed more like himself. "Its fine dad, I'll be out in a second!" she called louder to her dad.

The Doctor was looking around frantically all of a sudden. "Why are we back on earth? Why am I in your bedroom?"

"Clam down, the TARDIS landed us here while you were a bit out of it. Guess she figured it was a safe place for you to recover. And you're in my room because I'm nice and don't let my sick friends sleep on a lumpy couch. Your welcome." Clara rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

His eyes narrowed at her. "You slept here too." he said it as a statement not a question.

"Yes."

He clicked his tongue and looked at her "Taking advantage of a sick man Clara?"

She blushed in embarrassment and anger. "No, I swear to god you're insufferable sometimes! I should have just let your mind melt!"

She turned to leave but her came forward and caught her wrist, yanking it like he had last night and giving her a bit of a scare when he pulled her back down to the bed. "Clara" he said the hint of teasing in his voice as he looked at her where she'd fallen. "Thank you for not making me sleep on a lumpy couch, and for not letting my mind melt." He released her wrist "Now go talk you your dad before he thinks I'm taking advantage of his daughter. If you could also see fit to return my clothes wherever you put them I'd appreciate it."

"You're welcome… though really just in case you forget again, you're not supposed to shower in clothes." Clara replied feeling a little odd as he watched her leave.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Clara's father stayed for another hour or so watching Clara with amusement as she gathered the Doctors dry clothes from around the apartment and put them in her room for the Doctor. She was almost sure he was waiting for him to emerge from her bedroom so her Dad could tease her, but he didn't get the chance. As he was leaving he just made her promise whoever her secret new guy was he wasn't like the naked boyfriend from Christmas.

Clara was leaning around the front door having just closed it after her father said that when the Doctor came out of the bedroom almost fully dressed – just missing his shoes and coat which were taking far longer to dry out.

"What do you think he'd say If I said _you where_ the naked boyfriend from Christmas that he keeps teasing me about?" Clara asked dryly.

"He might say nothing. He might just shoot me." The Doctor shrugged, he looked a bit out of place as he stood looking at anything but her with his hands in his pockets.

Clara frowned, tracking his behaviour. "You sure you're still feeling okay?" she asked.

He gave her an annoyed look "Of course I'm not okay Clara, I had something forcibly embedded in my mind and then ripped out again."

"You know what I mean."

"I'll be fine. So, what was it they used that managed to ensnare me anyway?" he asked taking a seat on her couch. "I assume it was powerful, my mind is not as fragile as most."

"Huon energy powered the devices they used." Clara explained. "I shot the tank and it exploded which seemed to free you all. I imagined it was like unplugging a hairdryer. I'm going to go get dressed, make yourself comfortable."

Clara disappeared into her bedroom to change. She had just pulled her shirt over her head when the Doctor suddenly strode into the room banging the door against the wall with the force he used to push it open with. She had enough time to squeak and cover her bare chest with the shirt in her hands before his long hands got a vice like grip on the tops of her arms.

"Clara, Huon energy blast!" he cried looking manic.

"Doctor, no shirt on!" Clara cried back.

He did not seem to hear her. "Clara you were caught in a Huon energy blast weren't you?"

"Yes?" she frowned, it was clear he would not get out until she listened to what she had to say. "And can you stop doing that with your hands!" he'd started to home his hands up and down her arms lightly, tips of his knuckles just brushing the sides of her breasts.

He stopped moving his hands but didn't release her, didn't even to seem to register why she's asked him to stop. "How did you survive the blast, It should have completely fried you up. Huon dangerous, unpredictable! To a human like you it should have been poison!"

"I don't know" Clara shrugged "As soon as my skin started to burn then nanogenes started to heal me."

He snorted and let go of her suddenly, only to start scanning her with the sonic. "Nanogenes, nanogenes can make mistakes if they've never seen a human before."

"They healed my hand alright when I cut it."

"Healing a cut is pretty much the same no matter what species you are Clara." He growled, apparently unhappy with his results from scanning her. "There's still traces of Huon energy and nanogenes in your body."

"What does that mean?"

"No idea" he shrugged. "It's a wonder you're not dead."

"Okay, thank you for just setting a whole new list of worries in my mind. Now can you _please leave_ my bedroom so I can put a shirt on?" she felt like a child as she scowled at him and pointed at the door, one arm holding the shirt up to hide her chest.

Finally the Doctor seemed to realise why she was uncomfortable, he looked her up and down, eyes widened when he came to her scantily clothed chest he took a step backwards. "Oh, sorry. You really should have said something Clara, it's not really appropriate to have a man in your room when you have hardly any clothes on. What would your father say?"

She was pretty sure he was teasing.

**~ O ~**

Not one to stick around the Doctor had wanted to take off again as soon as Clara was dressed. She hadn't thought it was a good idea, apparently the ship was in agreement because the Doctor came back up to her apartment looking rather annoyed and told her that the TARDIS had employed her equivalent of a hand break and refused to take off.

He complained for the rest of the day about how boring the 'domestic' life was. Clara had told him if he was that bored he could help her tidy up her flat a bit since dust tended to accumulate worse in a month's absence – he had promptly shut up.

She did notice a few unusual oddities in his behaviour however. Once or twice she caught him staring into space with a dark expression, it took her clicking fingers in his face to snap him out of it. when he was like that Clara remembered the things he'd shown her the night before, the horrors he had seen and remembered as his mind tried to sort itself after the harsh intrusion – if she had all those suddenly brought to the forefront of her mind maybe she would space out a few times too.

However the biggest change came later that night – Clara had taken the couch this time though she couldn't lie to herself, a part of her wanted to share her bed with the Doctor again. It had been a pleasant experience, she would never lie and say not even a small part of her had a crush on the Doctor – it was impossible to travel with the man and not develop some kind of feeling for him. Usually she could ignore it though, except during intimate moments like last night. Luckily they did not come around often.

It was late, the clock on her shelf showed it to be just after two in the morning, when she was woken.

"CLARA!"

She sat bolt upright with a sudden burst of adrenaline.

"CLARA!" the unmistakable voice of the Doctor yelled from her room.

Clara bolted up and in her haste to see what was the matter fell over the back of the couch straight onto the floor. She managed to drag herself back up and into the room to find the Doctor thrashing in the bed. At first she thought he was being attacked by some invisible assailant – with him anything was possible – until she realised it was just a simple nightmare.

"CLA-ra! Clara!" he called again, struggling with the bed sheet.

She approached the bed in a hurry to calm him down got clipped by his elbow rather hard as he flailed in his sleep. She hardly let it faze her however and reached out to touch him – he calmed almost instantly. "Doctor?" she asked softly seeing his eyes blink open when she turned on the lamp. He sat up abruptly, knocking her hand from him in the process and nearly knocking her of her precarious perch on the side of the bed.

"Clara? What-?" he asked looking around the room with frantic eyes. "But… Daleks?" he asked.

Clara had to frown for a second, "Doctor you where dreaming, there are no Dalek's here. You're safe."

"Safe?" he asked, voice hollow.

"Safe yes. You're in my apartment, with me, in my bed. I was out there on the couch so trust me no one is going to hurt you."

"Why am I in your bed if you're not in it?" he frowned, eyes still looking confused but at least he was looking at her now.

Clara paused looking for the words, he was obviously a little disorientated. "Well, you're not usually the kind of man that wants to… share a bed, or have any intimate contact Doctor." She looked down at the bed sheet a little embarrassed.

"Am I not?" he asked, closer to her this time. Clara looked up, startled, as he leaned his head on hers for a second. "I feel I am not myself right now then, maybe adrenaline drunk from my nightmare. I consider myself a fool when thinking clearly to no be trying to gain your affections."

Clara was… dumbfounded. She gave a tiny shy smile that he did not see because his eyes were closed. "I don't think you are yourself right now either" was the only part she chose to comment on. It was probably better for both if she ignored the rest.

"So if I ask you to stay you won't?" he replied. Before Clara could think in a move much like before he pulled at her wrist until she was in the bed beside him sprawled very ungracefully. He pulled the cover up over her and settled down beside her.

Clara glared at him "You're not exactly giving me much choice."

He smirked and leaned over her to turn off the lamp and plunge them into darkness. "You're going to wake up and kick a fuss about how you don't like to be touched aren't you?"

"It's entirely possible" his voice replied in the darkness, a hand snaked over her side quite suddenly and Clara squeaked as he drew her closer to the hard place of his chest. He might have looked older than his predecessor but Clara made no mistake that he was any less strong.

As she was falling asleep Clara felt the same mental brush against her mind as the night before as the Doctor's mind entwined with hers – though this time she did not experience nearly half as many memories as previously – almost instinctively Clara wrapped her mind around those bad thoughts and pushed them away leaving only soothing, loving thoughts and happy memories behind. She was faintly aware of the Doctor sighing deeply against her back before she fell asleep.

**~ O ~**

The Doctor had been awake for a while now, yet despite knowing he should get out of the bed he couldn't bring himself to. He knew he should move, he should leave Clara here to sleep and when she woke he should tell her to stop crawling into bed with him whenever his addled mind asked her too.

But he knew he wasn't going to do it.

She was the first person in centuries to help him sleep peacefully. It was rare, fantastic and utterly selfish that he loved that. But he was a selfish man, he always had been. Her breathing altered slightly and he knew she was awake.

His arm was still draped over her side, pressing her into his chest. He could have just lay there and enjoyed the contact, he could have pretended he was asleep – what he did not count on where these words leaving his mouth before he'd even registered them as a thought. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?" Clara sounded sleepy and confused.

"You hide my memories from myself. How? How can you a little pudding brained human do that?" his tone was light, confused, so Clara didn't comment on how annoyed she was at being called a 'pudding brain' again.

"I don't know. It was instinct." Clara replied after she yawned. Her tone was quite, like she didn't want to startle him. Admittedly this was the most contact he'd probably had with her while in sane mind and not thrown a fit.

He sighed suddenly "For an empathic person like you Clara that's easy to believe" he admitted but frowned still even if she couldn't see it. "You still shouldn't have the mental telepathy abilities to do what you did though."

There was no reply. The Doctor, wondering if she had fallen asleep again, he moved the arm around her waist to the bed to hold himself up a fraction and pulled at her shoulder so she was underneath him. "Impossible girl did you fall –"he stopped talking and stared down at her.

Clara was underneath him, startled to be in such a position, her eyes widened a fraction which was when she realised one of her eyes didn't want to open more than it already was. The Doctor was wearing an alarmed expression as he stared at said eye. "What happened to your face?" he asked.

"Huh?" Clara asked, she was going to need more context because the Doctor's face was not a mirror, no matter how bright and shiny his eyes where.

"You have quite a shiner love." The Doctor elaborated, his accent got a fraction thicker with the sentence.

Clara reached a hand up to poke at her eye. "Oh" she said "Oh! It must have happened last night. When you started yelling in your sleep I fell over the back of the couch, and then again when you were in here you might have accidentally clipped me…"

He blanched visibly and moved away from her. Clara sat up, already knowing his line of thought. "Oh don't start freaking out, it wasn't your fault. Not like you were aiming for me or even awake at the time."

He didn't say anything, so Clara chose to ignore it and move to get out of bed. "How are you feeling anyway?"

"Normal. Confused. My memories are still trying to sort themselves out."

"Well that's-"she stopped talking for a second to wince, pain erupting in her side for a second before it vanished. "Good." She finished.

The Doctor of course noticed her sudden discomfort. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah just a cramp, probably from what sleep I did get on the couch." Clara waved away his concern before she looked at him properly for a second and grinned.

"What?"

"You look so domestic, it's weird." She laughed "I've only ever seen you in your suit."

The Doctor blushed a bit. "Come on, get ready. I'm going to see if the TARDIS well let us go of if we are forced to spend another torturous day pretending to be pudding brains."

Clara frowned "Even if she lets us go it's probably a good idea to take it easy for a while."

"I never take it easy."

"I've noticed." Clara grumbled retrieving some clothes before heading to the bathroom to change. She'd be thankful that back on the TARDIS she would have to keep avoiding him just to change clothes. She had just finished dressing and brushing her hair when once again Clara caught sight of gold flecks in her eyes – larger this time.

She asked the Doctor about it when she exited the bathroom. He was already dressed and looking sharp in his usual attire – which had been joined by his shoes now that they were dry again. "Is there anything wrong with my eyes to you? I keep thinking I see gold flecks in them?"

He wasted no time and scanned her with the sonic again. "Well you still show traces of nanogenes and Huon energy in your system. It could take a week to pass though you normally." He looked concerned but tried to brighten up by saying "With nanogenes in your system at least you should be able to heal from that eye pretty quick."

Clara still felt unsure.

There was a sudden knock on her door, she went to answer it while the Doctor headed for the bathroom.

She really should have looked through the peep hole. She was kicking herself about it when she opened her door and her father rushed inside dragging her rather bored looking step mother. "Hello dear" her father hugged her again, closing the door for her as though he knew she was about to bolt. "We just thought we'd pop round for a cuppa, you're not busy are you?"

"Actually-"

"I'll put the kettle on" her dad practically dashed out of the room, leaving her alone with her step mother. He did this every time, tried to force a situation for them to get along. It never worked because as usual the first question she asked was…

"Hi Clara so… seeing anyone nice?"

Why, why did she always ask?

"It's nice to see you too." Clara flashed what she knew was a fake smile and hoped her dad wouldn't stay long.

Her dad had just come back into the room when the Doctor decided that would be a good time to exit the bathroom "Clara are – oh." He seemed utterly bewildered by the appearance of her family, he just looked at her "I thought you were talking to yourself again."

Her dad looked rather taken aback. "Clara who's this man? Is he the building caretaker? And what happened to your eye, did you go back to that taekwondo class?"

Clara sighed, flashed the Doctor what was probably a cross between an annoyed look and an apologetic one. "Dad, this is the friend that was sick yesterday. As you can see he's much better now and we were just making plans to head back out and do some more traveling. We were thinking about heading to…. To Peru weren't we?"

"Peru?" the Doctor hooked an eyebrow at her.

"Would you prefer Scotland again?" Clara flashed him a look hoping he'd get the hint.

Clara's dad interrupted them "And your eye?" his voice was hostile and protective as he glared at the Doctor.

"Rolled off the couch and banged it off the coffee table while I was asleep – worse way to wake up I tell you."

"So you're travelling…" her step mother said slowly "With him?"

"Yeah" Clara nodded, glancing at the Doctor again. He looked rather amused.

Her step mother and father exchanged a look before her mother said "Well a silver fox is defiantly an improvement over that naked one you brought to Christmas. His chin was bigger than his-"

"-Okay!" Clara cut across her step mother blushing furiously and refusing to even glance in the Doctors direction. Even her father looked a little red. "Really Dad, we were just about to leave."

"Well why don't we give you a lift to the airport? It's been so long Clara, we'd really love a catch up wouldn't we dear?" her dad nudged her step mom encouragingly but neither woman was exactly interested in hanging out with the other.

"Actually darling we were supposed to pick up your mother and her friends and take them to bingo for one." Her step mother answered.

"Oh yeah I forgot about nan, you haven't even visited your nan yet Clara!" her father tried to sway her but Clara just smiled sadly as her step mother dragged him out of the front door and Clara shoved him from her end.

"I'll visit Nan twice next time I come back then wont I? Anyway I'm just a phone call or a text away you can always reach me."

"Well okay then honey" Her father hugged her, when he let go he shot her a meaningful glance and nodded at the Doctor while he said "Be careful, and don't be afraid to tell me anything."

"I will dad, I love you. Bye!" Clara waved out of the door until they had vanished down the stair well. She turned back to the Doctor feeling utterly mortified she said "I am _so_ sorry."

"For what?" He asked lightly, teasing, she recognised that tone.

She glanced up at him, knowing he wanted her to say exactly what she was apologising for. Instead she gave him a wicked grin and said "Well, if you didn't take offence then I guess there's no reason to apologise is there?"

She smirked at his irritated glance.


	7. Chapter 7

_Just pointing out for the last chapter where Clara's dad mentioned her 'Nan' I decided that both Clara's grandparents where alive – her mother's mother was her 'Gran' that died in the first chapter. Not even sure if anyone noticed but figured I'd put in a clear up :P  
>Fair warning, this chapter is mostly various – time is passing by – fluff!<em>

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

The TARDIS allowed them to fly this time around and they took off without another glance. Clara had gone straight to the kitchen and found the cat lazing on a rather luxurious looking cat tower that had appeared. Apparently the TARDIS was very fond of the pet and it had not been allowed to starve or be bored while Clara and the Doctor weren't around.

A few days of just floating through space allowed them to resettle back into their earlier compatibility – except for one change. During the night the Doctor still woke up, sometimes calling her name sometimes yelling something that did not get translated by the TARDIS matrix. It always ended the same way, whether he actually woke up or was still half asleep, the Doctor would take her wrist and drag her into bed beside him where he would curl around her and wait for her mind to soothe the painful memories in his until they were both asleep. Neither made much comment on this behaviour.

Today the Doctor had been reading aloud in the library again until he was aware of Clara's presence which was when he stopped reading allowed and preferred to read silently.

"Why do you stop when you notice I'm here?" Clara asked from her seat in the big comfy arm chair opposite him. She'd been rather enjoying whatever he was reading – something about physics (she admitted she wasn't really enjoying the book as much as she was enjoying his voice).

He glanced up at her wonder why she'd even ask. "I read aloud to stop the silence, but when your hear it's not silent so I don't feel like I have to read aloud."

Clara frowned only half understanding his reasons "Why do you feel like you have to stop the silence? Most people would enjoy a bit of peace and quiet."

His eyes darkened "Most people didn't spend six hundred years alone because the impossible girl held on to their shape and made her very late!"

Clara refused to feel guilty about that – if she hadn't come and asked the Timelord's through the cracks to save him he wouldn't even be here now. "What about the people in that village?" she frowned "You didn't have to be lonely."

He waved at her "Having lots of people around you but not having the person you want around you… it's a different kind of loneliness."

Clara nodded slowly, understanding completely. When her mother had passed away she had felt like the loneliest person in the world despite still having her dad and grandparents around her. Instead she chose to say "I am not that loud, that can't possibly be enough for you."

He smirked into his book "You forget my senses are a lot keener than yours Cara, I can hear your heart beat. I can smell your perfume – smells nice by the way. Anyway, knowing you are here is just as good even if I couldn't do any of that."

Clara stared dumbfounded. She turned back to her own book blushing a little. "I'm not wearing any perfume."

The Doctor blushed too.

**~ O ~**

Clara was running down the hall trying to dodge sontaran fire. Damn the Doctor and his long legs – he was practically an entire corridor in front of her – enough that when she turned a corner he'd already be gone. Which was why she was shocked when an arm shot out of a tiny wall gap and yanked her out of the corridor – a hand went over her mouth to muffle her yell. "Shhh" the Doctor hissed into her ear, removing his hand from her mouth with difficulty. The gap was far too small for the pair of them yet they were wedged together tightly.

They were both sorely aware of their bodies pressed so close together.

"Only you can land us on a sontaran battle ship while aiming for the Lake District!" Clara hissed trying to distract herself and him.

"Now is really not the time Clara…" he hissed back trying to wriggle just a little as the sontarans began to march past.

Clara gasped suddenly, they both froze. It had nothing to do with the sontarans. It had more to do with the hard length suddenly pressing against Clara.

They stayed frozen like that for long after the sound of marching boots had vanished. "I – uh – I think they're– y'know – gone…" Clara mumbled, her hands had at some point found their way to the Doctors chest.

"Yeah-"the Doctor gulped audibly. This was the most uncomfortable she'd seen him in a while.

Clara decided to be the bigger person. The Doctor was still just a man after all, this meant nothing more than that. She ignored the heat that had pooled in her belly at the mere prospect she wriggled furiously out of the little gap and away from the Doctor. "Little claustrophobic in there?" she smiled at him.

**~ O ~**

Clara awoke in the Doctors room again. It was becoming a normal thing, running to the Doctors room in the dead of night and sleeping there with him. What was the point of her even having her own room anymore?

She pushed the blanket down herself further feeling rather too hot as always in the Doctors room. He was pressed against her back again, holding her to him with a firm grip on her middle, keeping her warm enough despite his lower body temperature that required his need for a warmer bedroom.

He was awake she knew that, one of his fingers was tracing Gallifreyan letters on her belly. "Is there a point to me having my own room anymore?" she asked him voicing her thoughts. There was no real animosity in her tone though, mostly just humour and the last remnants of sleep.

"I do hope I won't keep disturbing your sleep any longer." He told her truthfully, he stopped tracing letters on her skin. "The memories are getting better."

"Its fine, just one of these days you're going to go to bed nude or something and make this a whole lot more awkward." Clara joked turning to face him.

He was smirking. "At least that way you could assure your step mother it is much bigger than my chin."

Clara hit his arm "I cannot believe you just said that!" she was still mortified by that comment. She got up and left for her bedroom so she could dress – leaving the Doctor chuckling to himself behind her.

She didn't let him see her double over and clutch her stomach as a massive shooting pain shot across her stomach and chest and passed as suddenly as it came. These pains where coming far more frequent.

**~ O ~**

They had decided to visit new-several-more-news Earth again. This time the Doctor preferred to investigate a small village outside of the city close to the hospital. Clara was casting figurative glances at the hospital as the now too familiar sharp pain shot across her chest and belly.

She was barely listening to what the Doctor was saying to these village people – they were mostly cat kind too, which was why Clara found herself sitting amongst and being climbed on by a small horde of kittens. If she wasn't so distracted by the pain she'd have had her hands full.

"Clara?" the Doctor brought her out of her day dream, he was giving her a concerned look.

"Yeah? Sorry I was in space." She smiled warmly.

"Are you coming to see these people's mysterious crop circles? Sounds like it could be quite the adventure." The Doctor gave her a grin.

"Actually I think I'm going to find somewhere quite to sit, I'm not feeling that good." Clara replied not looking at him, afraid that if she looked at his face she couldn't lie anymore. "You go ahead – and _be careful_."

The Doctor hesitated following these simple farmers seeing the troubled look on Clara's face. That and no matter how safe or simple a situation seemed she had refused to let him go alone since the collar/mind control incident. He knelt down in front of her, not flinching when he was suddenly jumped upon by kittens. "Clara are you alright?"

"Yeah I'm just tired that's all." She sighed, giving him the best smile she could manage at that moment.

The Doctor frowned. His nightmares had been keeping her up at night the past few weeks – that was sure to take a toll at some point. "Alright… you get some rest. I'll meet you later."

"It's a deal. _Be careful_" she stressed again.

"I will be" he promised as he left for the farm crops.

Clara waited until he was out of sight before she set the kittens back down and began to walk in the opposite direction – towards the hospital.

Clara found the cat nuns to be quite polite and lovely nurses. She had remembered and echo of herself being a patient in this hospital before the Doctor and Rose had busted it for experiments, when they landed he's assured her their visit was long after that event took place – she was surprised then to recognised a few of the nun nurses from the echo's memory.

The nuns seemed just as shocked when she explained about the pains she'd been having since surviving the Huon energy blast. They spent a good few hours poking and prodding, questioning and taking samples and running tests and various scans. Their findings were not comforting to her… but they weren't horrible either.

She had hardly realised how long she was gone with all the things the nurses wanted to do, until her phone began to ring and flash the Doctors name.

She answered though he seemed to have already been talking before then "-so the pesky crop circles where just kids in scarecrow having fun, harmless to say the least and not much to worry about – they probably read somewhere about the old human-earth tradition of Halloween so no mystery there. The real mystery here right now is where the hell are you, Clara Oswald?" Clara wasn't a fool to believe his light hearted tone. He was frowning with his furious eyebrows on the other end of that phone.

"Well if you would let me get a word in…" She replied, he waited patiently for her to continue after her hesitation. "I'm at the hospital with the cat nuns."

He was silent. Clara could imagine every possible bad thing in the universe that could have ever happened to land her in the hospital was running through his head right then. She probably wasn't wrong because he was unable to hide his anger when he practically growled into the phone "room number, now."

Clara gave him the information and he hung up. She barely had to wait longer than a few minutes before she could hear the TARDIS engines from somewhere down the corridor. It wasn't long before the Doctor appeared leaning on the door of her ward, luckily she was sitting on the bed closest to the door so she was easily found. He glared at her.

"One of these days Clara Oswald you're going to make one of my hearts give out, and then where will I be with only one heart working?" he said lightly as he approached her. Clara wasn't fooled by the light tone, his eyes were furious. "So what exactly did you do to get yourself admitted to hospital? I left you with a bunch of kittens, there's nothing safer."

"I beg to differ" Clara held out both her hands so he could see the claw marks going up and down her hands and wrists.

He did not smile, he just continued to glare at her as she sat in one of the hospital night gowns her legs swinging off the bed. She felt very much like a child being told off. Clara gave away under his glare. "I admitted myself." She said looking down at her feet.

"Why?" the Doctor asked, the anger wasn't in his voice anymore it had been replaced with genuine confusion and concern – not that it stopped the anger in his eyes of course, but then nothing ever did really.

"I was still getting pains from that Huon blast" Clara shrugged trying for nonchalant, hiding her nervous worry. "I know you said they would pass, but it's been more than a month and the pains where getting worse and spreading. Just thought it would be better safe than sorry."

The Doctor didn't say anything. He just watched his petite companion as she swung her legs idly – her feet did not touch the floor – and she stared at the floor, she hadn't looked at him while she was talking at all. He understood the avoidance technique – Clara was horrible at keeping her emotions out of her face. Her eyes would betray her and do a thing, they would say one emotion while the rest of her said another. He moved closer to her, placing a hand on her cheek and forcing her to look at him. There was clear worry in her eyes despite the calm expression.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" the Doctor asked gently though as usual his voice still had the threatening undercurrent. He was angry of course that she hadn't trusted him with this, but concern for her was his main thing at the moment.

Clara shrugged again, unconsciously leaning into his hand more "I did not want to worry you." She said. "You've enough to worry about with your memories being all jumbled up, and you turn out to be the biggest worrier in this universe and the next when things like this happen."

He snorted "Yes but running off on an alien planet to check yourself into hospital, that was not worry for me at all."

"I thought I'd be back before you."

He opened his mouth with an angry expression but Clara was saved from what was surely a rant by the return of the feline nun nurse. "Miss Oswald? Am I interrupting?"

"No" Clara cut across what was surely going to be an insult for the nurse from the Doctor. "We were just chatting."

The Doctor was staring at the cat. He recognised her from his last visit here with his tenth face – she must have been found innocent of the experimentation of inorganic humans, but that didn't make him trust her anymore. He was somewhat glad for a change that his face had changed or he was sure security would had thrown him out by now. "Do you have any information on Miss Oswald's pain?" he asked sounding gruff and menacing. He knew his added height over the cat and his tense posture probably added to his intimidation but right now he didn't care if he scared the cat, he just wanted to know if Clara was going to be okay.

"Well…" the nurse hesitated. "We don't know."

"You don't know? What do you mean _you don't know_?" the Doctors voice had gone quiet.

"No one has ever survived a Huon energy blast – well no human has anyway." The cat tried to explain without being cowed by the Doctor. "If it wasn't for the nanogenes she would have died, but because they started healing her almost immediately they might have gotten a bit confused…"

"Meaning?" Clara encouraged the cat to continue talking, gently pulling the Doctor away from her so he was no longer towering over the nurse as he glowered.

"Well the nanogenes are still working to keep you alive, but the only way they can do that is by changing some of your DNA to make it compatible with the Huon particles left behind in your body. That is the pain you've been feeling – the nanogenes decoding and reconstruction certain parts of your DNA strands."

Clara frowned trying to wrap her head around what she was just told. The Doctor had a troubled look on his face but he wasn't offering any answers. "Alright, so what does that mean?" she asked.

"We're not sure but we know only a few things for certain." The nurse had calmed a lot more now the Doctor had stopped glaring at her and was speaking in comforting tones as she looked at Clara. "The good news is that the nanogenes have almost finished repairing your DNA, though I should warn you that the pain will get worse towards the end of the change. Another is that your body will have advanced healing capabilities."

Clara frowned "Advanced healing capabilities?" she repeated, remembering she had suffered a few injuries since the blast – such as the black eye and cat scratches. "I haven't been healing any faster than any other human?"

"I imagine the ability wouldn't manifest itself unless you suffer a fatal wound." The Doctor shrugged beside her, still looking angry and thoughtful.

"Yes exactly, for the time being to only thing it seems to be doing is healing your dying cells."

Clara didn't understand that quite clearly either. "Healing my dying cells?" she frowned.

"Aging." The Doctor supplied. "It is stopping your body from showing signs of aging."

"Oh…" Clara hesitated at that… not aging would probably have some ramifications that she wasn't ready to think about.

The nurse stayed for a little while longer talking with Clara about her situation, offering her a private room at the hospital if she stayed for observation – she was a unique case and the cats wanted to keep her here to learn from her. The Doctor must have sensed when Clara was getting tired – or he was just getting annoyed – because eventually he told the cat to come outside so he could talk with her while Clara got dressed to leave. She was grateful.

When Clara was dressed again she found the Doctor waiting alone outside her room. She gave him a small smile that she knew didn't reach her eyes, he gave her a soft look and took her hand – but he didn't lead them towards the TARDIS. "Where are we going?" Clara asked. She just wanted to go to bed – it was dark outside, no wonder she was tired.

"We're going to see someone who has a similar situation to you…" the Doctor's hand gave hers an encouraging squeeze despite the angry tone of voice. Clara knew he was doing his best to stop her panicking – but really Clara couldn't see anything to panic about, the nurse had explained there was nothing they could do to reverse the damage, she had always been a 'what's done is done' person – or as her mother used to say 'no use crying over spilt milk'.

"I thought the nurses had never seen my situation before?"

"They haven't. And he hasn't got your situation, his was different but similar enough that I think you should talk to him." The Doctor rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I am not sure if what he'll have to say will be encouraging, and you shouldn't be put off by his appearance..." he lead her onto a ward that was empty except for one nurse and a large tank in which floated a large head. It blinked softly when it saw them at the door.

'_Ah Doctor'_ Clara heard the voice in her head. '_I wondered when your new face would come visit me when I heard those groaning engines_.'

"How did you know I had a new face though?" the Doctor walked into the room having dropped Clara's hand and stuffed them both into his trouser pockets again, flaring out his jacket to flash the red lining again.

'_I know these things'_

"Then you must know why I am here?" the Doctor waved for Clara to come join him. "This is my companion, Clara Oswald. Clara, this is the Face of Boe."

'_It's nice to meet you, impossible girl. She's more than a companion don't you think Doctor?_' the Face smiled, Clara gasped – how did he know she was impossible?

"You know why I brought her here Jack." The Doctor raised an eyebrow, trying to keep the face on track.

'_Heh heh. You never did like these sensitive subjects. But yes, I know why you brought pretty miss Oswald with you_.' The face looked at Clara then with large eyes, and the memory of an echo surfaced at those big eyes.

"I – no!" Clara looked from the face to the Doctor. "You can't be serious, this is _Jack Harkness_?"

'_I prefer Captain Jack Harkness. But I haven't been him in such a long time…_' the face gave a long sigh inside its jar and the nurse who was silent otherwise moved to press some buttons on a console. '_Rose – Bad Wolf – gave me the gift of immortality… near immortality, I will end eventually. Just like you now Clara._'

Clara knelt in front of the face. "Is it horrible?" she asked "Living for so long?" she knew she could have asked the Doctor the same question, but she knew he would either be brutally honest or he would lie because she knew that more often than not he hated himself, his life, the decisions he'd had to make in his many lifetimes. Enough that his Eleventh face had been prepared, ready even, for death before she begged the Timelord's to keep him alive.

The Face at least waited, thought about it before he answered. '_No._' he said in the end. '_It might sound horrible, daunting and lonely… but in my experience I have seen so much and done so much, and have yet to do so much more. Not all of it is good of course, and some struggle to see the shining stars of goodness amongst all the bad, but when you do… it is worth it. There are still worlds out there that need you, need your goodness to save them._'

Clara had no doubts that Jack had been talking about the Doctor in that moment. Her eyes glanced up at him but his face remained expressionless.

"Thank you." Clara pressed a hand against the glass.

'_You're going to do amazing things Clara._'

She smiled "I've already done impossible, supposed amazing was next on the list wasn't it?"

'_Look after him. He will be a better man with you at his side.' _The face said as she stood to leave. The Doctor did not appear to have heard him, though Clara did think that he could have just been ignoring it.

"I will" she smiled at the face brighter.

"Feel better?" the Doctor asked her while examining his nails.

"A little. I'm still scared." Clara confessed. "Thank you Jack."

'_Thank you for saving me when I was still human Impossible girl._' He said in reference to her echo that he'd met.

The Doctor looked at them both then, from one to the other before he asked "Are you ready to go then Clara?"

"Yes thanks, I'm exhausted I just want to sleep." Clara smiled at him. "Goodbye Jack."

The Doctor, not one for goodbyes just nodded at the giant head as they turned to leave. "Has the TARDIS even found your bedroom yet?" he asked suddenly, after she made the joke about why she didn't need her own room since she kept waking up in the Doctors the TARDIS seemed to have taken it to heart and misplaced her room.

"No. I think she's deliberately hiding it from me."

The Doctor sighed as they approached his blue box. "And just when you two were getting along so well…"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

The nurses did not lie when they told Clara that the pain was just going to get worse before it got better. The next morning she woke up feeling like she was being stabbed by a hundred little tiny needles – her head was groggy too.

It was the same the next day.

And the next day.

She spent the entire fourth day in her bed refusing to leave. The cat came and curled up under the blanket with her, the sound of her mechanical purring was soothing enough to help her sleep, and she felt the TARDIS humming over her as if concerned too.

The fifth day saw her feeling a bit better – enough that she didn't want to stay in her bed.

The sixth day she was up and walking around without looking like an elderly man hunched over and hobbling.

Despite her pain, Clara was concerned about the Doctor. She hadn't been woken up and drawn to his room since they'd come back from the hospital. At first Clara had been in too much pain to assume it was anything else than him getting over his jumbled confused memories. Now as she sat across from him in the console room watching him almost nodding off while reading she could see his pale skin, bloodshot red eyes and huge bags from a lack of sleep under his eyes.

"You look like crap." She said to break the silence.

He looked up startled, he'd been falling asleep when she spoke.

"Have you not been sleeping at all?" she accused, wincing just a bit as she felt the pain in her shoulder.

His eyes tracked her pain. "I did not want to risk having another nightmare and disturbing your sleep while you were in so much pain."

Clara clicked disapprovingly. "That's really not healthy. I'd rather you'd just slept and if you woke up and needed me I wouldn't have minded."

"Doesn't matter if you minded, it's about what you needed and you needed rest." He looked at her then and smirked "Doctors orders."

Clara rolled her eyes at him then. "Idiot." But she softened as usual and smiled again "Thank you. But I'm really starting to feel better."

"So all that wincing is for fun?"

"Alright I feel like someone's pin cushion but that's a lot better than it has been. I don't mind helping you sleep again if you need it…"

They sat in silence for a second or two until the Doctor cleared his throat suddenly "I've been thinking." He said "about your unexplained sudden telepathic skills. They could have been a result of the Huon energy being twisted to your DNA – it's given you a brain boost so to speak."

"The second I start making object fly across the room like Matilda I'll start being concerned" Clara rolled her eyes. She'd already told the Doctor she cared little for the advantages the change in her DNA would give her. "I'm still trying to cope with the fact I am not going to age anymore. I mean how am I supposed to explain that at family functions? My cousins will all be there with their children and starting to get middle aged and such and I'll be twiddling my thumbs still looking twenty seven and knowing I'm probably going to outlive their great grandchildren!"

"Well" the Doctor rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "You could always stay here on the TARDIS if you like…"

Clara raised an eyebrow "With you?"

"Well I wasn't saying I was going to give her away." He replied sarcastically.

"Gosh you're grumpy when you're tiered." Clara rolled her eyes. "But I think I'd like that. You're sure you're not going to get bored of me?"

"How could I get bored of my impossible girl?" he smiled.

"How are you sure I'm not going to get bored of you?" Clara teased lightly – but regretted it when the Doctors smile slipped and he looked genuinely worried for a moment. "I wasn't saying I would, I was just teasing!" she amended quickly. "I'd very much like to stay, if that's okay with you."

The Doctor stood and began to stretch. "Well we shall see, you might bet bored of me as you put it."

"Oh I said I was joking" Clara moaned, knowing he was going to continue picking at that comment of hers for a while.

"No, no your quite right a young thing like you would be sure to get bored of an old man like me." He was walking away from her now sounding wistful as he looked for the correct space to replace his book.

"Oh please! Your age has never been an issue, two thousand years and you still run faster than me!" Clara laughed.

He flashed her a smirk across the room. "Yes you really should be disappointed that even now in a body creaky knees I can still out run you."

"I think it has nothing to do with your knees. More likely to do with the fact your legs are twice as long as mine – so you cover twice the distance!" he eyes narrowed suddenly "And for your information if we added together all my echo's I'd be even older than you!"

He paused, that was a fair point. "Only in mind." He said.

Clara smiled "Exactly, but your only ever as old as you think you are. That's why my grandmother used to play hopscotch down the park with my little cousins."

"Smart woman."

"Yeah… I always imagined being like her when I got old…" _but now I won't_. Clara shut her mouth before she could say the last part, but she figured the Doctor know where her thoughts had been anyway.

"You know…" the Doctor said to break a silence that had fallen. "You could always just tell them you had surgery. I hear that is quite popular with the pudding brains."

"Maybe. Though that does invite people to insult your features with things like 'oh well they botched your nose' or something."

"My other face did think your nose was rather small."

Clara swatted his arm playfully.

"Hey I didn't say it was me who thought that, I think your nose is just right!" the Doctor rubbed his arm as if she'd actually hurt him. "It was the floppy haired chin boy!"

**~ O ~**

Clara was lay on her belly on the big couch in the library flicking through 'A history of Mars' she'd chosen randomly off the shelf to read while the Doctor paced and muttered. She'd asked him one simple thing and now he was falling off the deep end.

"This is a problem Clara!" he muttered loudly for the third time since he'd started pacing at least fifteen minutes ago. "They don't seem to like me at all…. What would we say?"

"Doctor, they're my family not a horde of angry aliens and seriously you face them with no plan and no fear. My family aren't going to kill you. Alright the children might take a chunk out of you but they're children." Clara joked as she rolled her eyes. She'd gotten a text that morning from her father – she must have jinxed it by worrying about her non-aging situation at future family functions – because he'd invited her to a family gathering party to celebrate her older cousin getting married while he was abroad.

She'd told the Doctor, he'd been all for it until she mentioned she wanted him there with her.

"Children I can manage. I think. Not sure, not really had to talk to children in this face." He worried.

"If you're starting to feel your age we can stick you in the corner with my gran and her friends. How good are you at bingo?" Clara laughed at the dirty look he threw her.

"Seriously Clara your dad already seemed to think I had hit you last time we met thanks to that black eye. Retrospect I suppose he was kind of right…"

Clara gave him a meaningful look "I already told you that was not your fault, you were asleep."

"Anyway if I turn up with you at a family social isn't that like saying…" the Doctor trailed off.

Clara sat up not looking at him "That you're like my family?"

"Yeah."

"Is that so bad?" she looked at him now a little wary.

The Doctor looked hesitant. "History shows I'm not very good at being a part of a family."

Clara stood and tapped the Doctor on the head with her book before she walked away. "Well tough, you're stuck with my Eyebrows. We're going to that social – remember you said you like to dance at weddings? Well this way you get to skip the boring ceremony part and get straight to the dancing party bit."

**~ O ~**

The Doctor looked awfully uncomfortable as he sat with Clara in a booth while her family socialised, danced and drank around them. He was stiff as a board and hadn't said anything since arriving.

"Doctor please try to relax, you look like someone left the hanger in your jacket."

"I can't help it" the Doctor threw her an apologetic look. "I feel like something's going to happen – it always does around me – and I feel a bit guilty about your situation…"

Clara frowned "Well don't."

He snorted "Easier said than done."

"Clara!" she looked up at her dad's voice and stood to hug him. It didn't take long for her dad to release her and notice the Doctor. "Oh you brought your… friend." Her dad sat down at the table with them and Clara sat back next to the Doctor, closer than before.

"Yes, I know you didn't really have time to be introduced last time so dad this is the Doctor, Doctor this my dad."

"Nice to meet you." The Doctor shook his hand and tried not to sound stiff or angry for a change. He managed rather well and felt a little proud of himself.

"Doctor, wasn't that the name of your naked –"

"Ah no dad eh… the other guy was a Doctor but liked to be called by his title for some weird kink or something I always thought it was odd- ouch!" she hissed, the Doctor had nipped her leg under the table.

Her dad looked between the pair who were now glaring at each other with amused expressions.

"Clara!" another voice called.

Clara smiled brightly and stood to hug a young women who looked an awful lot like Clara but with long blonde hair and paler skin. The Doctor tried to make himself small as the two women leaned over him to reach each other. "Lauren!" Clara smiled as she let her cousin go. "It's so nice to see you, I can't believe you're married! You where the one of us that always said she'd rather be a wild girl than a married woman!"

"I know, but when you meet the one, you meet the one!" Lauren grinned and looked down at the table, catching sight of an awkward looking Doctor. "And who's this?" Lauren smiled politely at the gruff looking man.

"Lauren this is the Doctor, I'm travelling with him." Clara smiled and gave the Doctor an encouraging look.

"Hello, it's nice to meet Clara's family" the Doctor was being truthful but his voice was getting its gruffness back, his accent thickening as he became uncomfortable with the blonde's scrutinising stare.

"Well I hope you're taking good care of our Clara, she's always been quite headstrong!"

The Doctor smiled at that "I know, she's running me ragged – going to have a heart attack one of these days."

"Do you mind if I steal Clara for a while then? I want her to meet my husband and well us cousins haven't had a good girl talk in a long time." Lauren asked like she needed permission, already dragging Clara out of her chair.

Leaving the Doctor and Clara's father alone.

They both took a sip of their drinks awkwardly.

"I know she's an adult…" her father said – the Doctor had anticipated this talk and was fully prepared for this. "But she's still my daughter…" her father continued "she has a right to choose whoever she shared her life with, but I feel I should warn you that if you hurt her this entire family _will_ come after you."

The Doctor smiled, it was not a warm friendly smile or a cold horrible smile, it was an accepting one. "I understand entirely, but I do not plan to hurt your daughter in any way. She's very special."

"Alright. So long as we understand each other. Can't say I approve of the age gap very much mind." Her dad smiled.

_You have no idea_, the Doctor thought but instead chose to say "I was surprised she stuck around to travel with me too." he said to reassure her father that he was just travelling with his daughter, despite any feelings he might have towards her.

**~ O ~**

As soon as Lauren and Clara reached the bar across the room she was converged on by the rest of the cousins she had grown up with, they were all in their twenties now and yet the topic they chose was the saw as It was when they were sixteen – boys.

Of course the main gossip was Lauren's husband Brian – who turned out to be Italian born, he had quite the sizable income from a grape orchard and planned for the couple to settle down in Italy too. They tossed around with Jamie, Rachel and Elizabeth's respective dates for the evening none of whom where serious before they eventually turned onto Clara like a pack of hyena's.

"Well I see Clara has bagged herself a silver fox" Elizabeth winked over her drink while the other girls craned their necks to look back at the Doctor who was chatting rather happily with a few of Clara's uncles. She couldn't help but narrow her eyes and hope to god he hadn't said anything non-human.

Clara looked back at the girls as she leaned on the bar. "His name is the Doctor." She said, it was the only thing she could say at that moment her mind went blank.

"Oooh a PHD?" Jamie asked with interest.

"Uhh. Sure." Clara nodded, she was pretty sure he didn't have a PHD of any kind but then again it was the Doctor he could have one for all she knew.

"You always did have a thing for an older gent" Lauren teased "Though you were always the good girl out of us all, our Clara never sleeping around or playing hooky!"

"Unlike Lauren, how many Italian guys did you go through to find Brian?" Rachel asked with a wink.

"Oh come off it!" Lauren laughed but turned back to Clara who had hoped they'd stop asking her questions. She tried to look over her shoulder and stop the Doctor but he seemed to have vanished. She had a horrible moment where she worried he'd left without her. "But really Clara, how long have you been with this Doctor? Last I heard Nan was telling us something about a naked Swedish bloke and some guy from work called Danny."

"Oh well we're not actually together like that. I've known the Doctor for quite a while now – about two or three years."

"And now what, you're just travelling together platonically? As friends?" Elizabeth sounded like she didn't believe it.

"Well yeah…" Clara said sipping her drink.

"Ohhh!" Lauren had a sudden dawning look on her face. "You're travelling as friends _but_ you want to be more don't you?" she accused with a grin.

Clara didn't have to reply, her blush did it for her. Luckily before the girls could say anything else she was rescued by her dad and the Doctor himself. "Clara you never told me the Doctor was so good with mechanics, he just got that rattle out of my car engine within five minutes and one screwdriver – best mechanic in the universe I swear!"

The Doctor was grinning at her rather smugly at that praise.

"Yeah in the universe, you have no idea" Clara laughed, no one else got her joke really but that didn't matter. "Come on Doctor, you told me you love to dance at weddings." Clara grabbed the befuddled alien by the hand and dragged him away from her snickering cousins and bewildered father.

"Having fun showing off?" she asked him as they danced calmly to a slow song like the others.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows at her. "Well you abandoned me to your father to join a pack of giggling girls so figured I'd get some use out of myself."

"Well at least you stayed out of trouble." Clara smiled as the Doctor twirled her around once to the music.

"Your family seem to think we are something of a couple." The Doctor said suddenly. "I would have thought the obvious age difference would put them off, but people keep telling me you have a thing for a silver fox."

Clara glanced at his face, he looked amused so she assumed he was teasing. "Maybe I do" Was all she said.

By the end of the night Clara and the Doctor had drank quite a bit though nowhere near as much as Clara's cousins and step mother who needed to be escorted to their taxis. Lauren and her husband Brian where waving their goodbyes when Lauren noticed Clara and the Doctor both leaning on each other headed towards a blue box on the corner of the street. Lauren turned away long enough to hug Rachel goodbye, when she turned back Clara and the Doctor had vanished.

Inside the TARDIS Clara didn't even bother trying to go to her own room. they were both somewhat intoxicated – it would take far too much effort to go to her run just to run down the corridor later tonight with a probably hangover – she fell into the Doctors bed fully clothed and fell asleep before he started laughing.

The Doctor had neglected to tell her that he found it far more difficult to fall asleep while alcohol was in his system, he ended up sitting up in bed just thinking and watching her sleep. In her sleep Clara's mind brushed against his and as usual wrapped him in a soothing feeling of love, happiness and peace. Recently when she did this he had been feeling the smallest hint of the pain her altered DNA was causing her, but tonight there was nothing and he smiled at that- hopefully she was over the worst of it.

In her sleep Clara snuggled closer to the Doctors side, curling herself under his arm and into his side. It was the first time she had done that, even in her sleep, usually in his nightmare addled state the Doctor was the one who clung to her soft form seeking comfort. They hadn't really talked about this arrangement between then – they probably never would – but the Doctor was quite happy with the arrangement. He stroked his hand through her hair no as she snuggled close, hand running longer than her hair down her back to run back up her side and repeat.

Did he want more?

Of course. Even his other self had not been immune to Clara's natural beauty and personality though that floppy man-child would never have made an advance on her – he had still been lamenting for the Ponds even while he was obsessing over the impossible girl in a monastery somewhere. His attraction to Clara had been one of his only feelings to have survived the regeneration – he could have sworn it had even been amplified by it. He was willing to do anything for this girl, even if he wasn't willing to admit how he actually felt about her because she deserved far better than a two thousand year old timelord with an appearance to match and a dark past like his.

In her sleep Clara frowned and tightened her grip on his shirt. She wriggled.

The Doctor paused his ministrations to watch her.

If he hadn't been so selfish he would not have insisted she travelled with him full time, she would not have had to save him and got caught in that blast, and she would now be forced to stay with him thanks to her altered DNA.

Clara moaned a little in her sleep, the Doctor was alarmed and wondered if she was okay. He poked against her consciousness wrapped in his mind and was surprised at the feelings he received from her unconscious state. Love, that one was always there – the one that shocked his was lust and desire.

The girl in his arms was having a dream about something that excited her particularly.

He paused for a moment, unsure how to continue the situation and a hairs breath from waking her up accidentally on purpose. Another part of him wanted to really prod at her mind and find out exactly what she was dreaming. A flit of jealously ran through him because he was certain she would not be dreaming about him – it was probably the brother of her cousins husband who'd started hitting on her at the party. At that thought the Doctor wanted to roll away from the girl, jealousy burned like a fire in him until her hand fisted in his shirt and she moaned again softly. He lay on his back and sighed at the ceiling, his body already having a reaction to the sounds she was making and the feelings that where becoming stronger in her telepathic link with him.

It was going to be a long night for the Doctor.


	9. Chapter 9

_Not going to lie, this chapter was mostly just for fun - and to get a certain romantic ball rolling - but I saw the new trailer for 'Into the Woods' and saw Johnny Depp dressed as the Wolf and thought hell Capaldi would make a much better wolf ;) _

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

Clara ran and skipped through the forest marvelling at the dancing warm streams of sunlight that managed to stream through the canopy of green leaves above and bathe the forest floor in warm light. For having woken up after passing out again this was one of the more peaceful times – last few times that had happened it usually turned out to be some kind of trap for her and the Doctor that ended in them running for their lives. This time however she had woke on the forest floor, red jacket keeping her comfortably warm, and feeling peaceful.

The only un-nerving thing was that she was alone – the Doctor was gone and without him she was hardly going to remember where they parked the TARDIS in the thick dense trees. So she set off into the forest looking for her, following the winding trail trying to spot either the elusive Timelord or a flash of blue in the trees.

She hadn't spotted the Doctor but that didn't mean the forest was empty. She'd walked by a destroyed wood shack and a pile of hay earlier before she came upon three large men in waistcoats tending a garden outside of their little brick house. She'd asked them if they had seen the Doctor, but to her disappointment they hadn't seen hide nor hair of a quick silver haired man in a magician's coat – they did however warn Clara to stay on the path, there was a wolf in this forest. It had prickled the hair on the back of her neck to think she was being stalked by a wolf, but she banished the thought from her mind and wrapped the red coat further around herself.

A short while later she came across a group of seven short men – she wished he Doctor could have seen them, he'd certainly not be able to call her tiny anymore compared to these men – they were cooking stew over a camp fire and where happy to share with her as the sun began to set. The seven men had been reluctant to let Clara go back into the forest alone at night – but she was stubborn and in the end her stubbornness won out. Though she promised them she would stay on the path, these men also warned her about a wolf in the woods.

The sun set, the forest got dark and she couldn't see the stars above the canopy. Clara pulled her red coat around her further starting to feel the biting cold, but that was when she realised the hair on her neck was not standing up because of the cold. A shiver ran down her spine. She could swear she was being watched. Clara stopped walking and turned in a circle once, twice… the third time around she caught a pair of glowing blue eyes in the gloom.

"Hello?" she tried.

"Hello Clara" the blue eyes replied in a gruff voice, she could have sworn it was familiar but she'd never heard such a growl in a voice.

"Do I know you?" she frowned, her voice did not shake though she was sure she was afraid just a little. Who wasn't afraid of talking to a pair of disembodied glowing eyes in the middle of a forest?

She saw the eyes narrow. "You're afraid." They said, still in a gruff growling voice. "Who's afraid of the big bad wolf…"

Clara rolled her eyes and felt bold enough to stay "If you're the wolf then your out of luck – I've been told that if you stay on the path the wolf can't get you."

"And yet if you observe the ground you walk you will notice that you are not on the path- and you have not been for some time."

Clara looked down and even in the darkness she could see that the wolf was indeed correct. Under her feet where nothing more than thick leaves – there was no worn path under her feet. "Well damn…" she muttered, but then she looked up at the wolf again. "So why haven't you gotten me yet then? Isn't that what the wolf does?"

"Usually the wolf plays with little red riding hood before he gets her." Clara could swear the wolf shrugged but the darkness made it hard to see anything but his eyes.

"Little re- but I'm Clara not some girl from a fairy tale." She was genuinely confused.

The wolf heaved a sigh. "Clara, Clara. Have you not realised anything? Everyone here as assumed the rolls of a fairy-tale character, you have already met the three pigs and seven dwarfs. You didn't go to sleep wearing that pretty red coat Clara any more than I went to sleep looking like a wolf."

Clara frowned. It made sense and he had a point about the coat. Why hadn't she noticed? And where the hell was the Doctor.

"So what happens now?" Clara frowned. "Usually the wolf attacks little red riding hood."

Before Clara could register it she was slammed against a tree behind her the wolf pressing her against it with his own angular hard body, he placed her hands above her head when she tried to push him away and held them there by the wrists with one of his hands – no matter how much she struggled he held fast. "I don't want to hurt you, but I have to attack you – it's part of the story." The wolf said his mouth against the shell of her ear. This time his voice was a little calmer, less rough and Clara realised why she recognised it.

She laughed suddenly "Why did I not realised you would be the wolf?" wiggled a bit, until she moved to look at his face.

The Doctor's features had changed to match his role in the fairy tale. His hair was a little longer and darker, his eyes practically glowed, and his nails had hardened and lengthened to claws and his teeth canine teeth where sharp. She caught a little movement behind him "Oh my stars do you have a tail?" Clara would have been doubled over with her laughter if the Doctor hadn't been holding her up.

The Doctor growled a little – the wolf persona was strong in him and he didn't appreciate the little red girl laughing at him. His grip on her wrists tightened a little, just enough to stop her laughing but not enough to actually cause her pain. He was still pressed against her, he could smell her hair – strawberries.

"Okay" Clara said after a few moments "What happens now?"

"Well as far as I know, the wolf attacks the girl and then a hero appears out of nowhere to save her." the Doctor shrugged against her, still smelling her hair and whispering against the shell of her ear. Clara shivered, enjoying the contact.

The pair of them paused to listen but there was nothing but the sound of the forest around them waiting for the hero.

"What happens if I don't want to be rescued?" Clara asked quietly.

The Doctor pulled away from where he'd hidden in her hair to look her in the eye. "I don't know. No one ever plans to stay with the wolf. He's the bad guy remember?"

"_My_ wolf isn't a bad guy." Clara smiled. "When he wakes up _my_ wolf is actually a _hero_."

The Doctor pulled back completely and took two steps from her, releasing her from where he'd pinned her against the tree. "I am no hero Clara – why do you think I was given the role of a villain in this fairy-tale?"

"Of course you're a hero." Clara smiled and shook her head at the wolf/Doctor's silliness. "It takes a true hero to know when he is a villain- and still do what's right."

The Doctor relaxed a bit then and Clara approached him. He gave her a look she could not decipher and said "I think you're just trying to romanticise it."

"I don't need to romanticise the truth" Clara frowned. "I'm not that much into romance anyway."

"Too bad these fairy tales always have a romantic twist, I'm half expecting your white knight to come riding through the woods." The Doctor looked left and right, a little wary. Behind him the grey wolf tail twitched and Clara giggled at it again.

"I don't want or need a white knight when I have my wicked wolf" Clara laughed out loud suddenly and took the startled Doctors hand. "Come on Doctor, do what you do best and show me the stars! I can't see any through these trees – and I know the wolf will know the way out of the woods!"

The Doctor gave her a particularly wolfish grin pulling her by the hand to race through the trees- Clara trusted him to pull her along, she could concentrate on little more than making sure her feet stayed under her as she ran, she relied on him to keep her from running into a tree at the speed they were going and credit to him he did a good job, even pulling her out the way of particularly large logs.

When they finally burst forth from the trees and stopped Clara was so shocked she forgot to put the brakes on and crashed straight into the back of the Doctor, sending them both rolling down the grassy hill. They fell together laughing, relaxed, the Doctor holding himself over Clara who had fallen underneath him, hair splayed out in the log grass as she laughed breathlessly holding her hands around the Doctors neck. He noticed their position before she did.

"Well there are the stars you asked for…" he murmured.

"Uh huh… they're beautiful." Clara wasn't looking up at the sky. She was looking right at him, staring into those blue eyes.

Neither of them was sure who leaned forward first. Maybe neither of them did move, maybe the world just titled on its axis, tired of them dancing around the obvious and forcing them to finally make a move. Either way Clara was as equally surprised as the Doctor when their lips met. She had always assumed his kiss would be hesitant as though he was afraid she would push him away, but this was nice not particularly forceful but sweet and confident. The Doctor had always imagined Clara's wickedly curved lips would be soft, he was right. He was also right to assume that should they ever kiss she would battle for control with him – not that he was going to give in. he kissed her a little more forcefully, nipping her lip until she opened for him – it took a bit more persuading but finally she gave in with a sigh and opened for him, tongue stroking over his as they kissed deeper. The Doctor moved from her lips eventually to kiss at her jaw and neck. Clara whispered teasingly "My wicked wolf…"

And then suddenly it was gone.

"Hello, are you two awake?" a voice asked from a distance. Clara sat up abruptly to come face to face with the vendor who owned the stall where she and the Doctor where sat. The Doctor was in another chair sitting up more slowly than she had, his face looked a little red and he was pointedly not looking at Clara.

"I hope you enjoyed the free taster of fairy tale-dream patches." The vendor smiled happily.

Ah now Clara remembered more fully – she'd been too caught up in the dream for a moment. They were on a market planet when Clara had seen the free tasters for the new patches and insisted wit the Doctor to try one – she'd won out of course and he'd allowed his mental guards to drop enough to allow the patch to work on him.

Neither of them had any idea that their dreams would end up like that.

They left the vendor without speaking a word, both where blushing and neither was looking at the other. They tried to fake interest at the rest of the market – occasionally they would try to make conversation by holding up an interesting looking fruit or other alien object but neither's heart was really into the fake enthusiasm and it showed.

Going back to the TARDIS was the most awkward thing in Clara's life.

They said nothing in the control room, careful to keep the console between them. The cat came into the room and mewled happily as it wrapped itself around Clara's ankles. She picked it up and cuddled it, burying her face into the cat's soft fur.

The Doctor stared at her when she smiled into the cat's fur with fondness but looked away when Clara looked up again. He cleared his throat "Is there anywhere particularly you want to see next?" he asked – his voice sounded gruff like it had in the dream, he cleared his throat again to try remove the roughness.

Clara paused. "No. Just drift for a bit I guess?"

"That's fine."

They went back to silence.

"Doctor uh…" Clara couldn't stand the silence for long. "The dream patch…"

"We don't have to talk about it" he said quickly.

"Oh, no I wasn't going to ask about…_ that_." She held her hands up at her shoulders in a surrender, eyes going wide as she looked at him.

The starred at her quietly for a few seconds almost relived. "If you weren't going to ask about _that_, what where you going to ask?"

Clara hesitated for a few minutes, wary after the events of that dream state. "Do you really think you're a bad guy?" she asked.

The Doctor turned away from her, his knuckles turned white as his grip on the console tightened where he leaned. "I'm not a good one." He replied eventually.

Clara considered him for a second. "No your right. You're an idiotic one."

He snorted. "I might be something but I am certainly not an idiot."

"Oh you are." Clara had started to move around the console as he did the same – both where being careful to keep distance between them after the dream kiss. "You're defiantly an idiot if you cannot see that you're a good man."

"I've done horrible things Clara, I'm more than ashamed to admit to my wrong doings."

"There are differences between being evil and a necessary evil Doctor." Clara smiled sadly leaning on the console and not looking at him. "I don't think you'd ever do anything that wasn't necessary – a last resort. From what I've seen you've always tried your best to preserve life – even if that life doesn't always deserve preserving."

She didn't know it but the Doctor was just staring at her back with wide sorrowful but hopeful eyes she shrugged and looked over her shoulder, the Doctor looked down quickly. "I can't make you believe me" she sounded sad but at the same time cheerful as she moved away from the console. "I'll just have to believe twice as much for your sake."

He gave her a tight lipped smile. What he wanted to do was thank her for believing in him, thank her for staying with him, thank her for not being disappointed every time he made the wrong decision – or a bad one – thank her for becoming his impossible girl. But he just smiled and hoped she understood.

As she was leaving the room Clara couldn't help but look back at him with a sly smile, catching him unexpectedly when he had been staring at her making him look away quickly. "Oh and Doctor?"

He looked up at her again.

"We can talk about that other thing that happened when you're ready – you'll know where to find me."

Clara turned to leave, grinning wickedly as she walked down the corridor to her bedroom.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Clara rolled over in her bed, eyes still tightly closed she willed that when she opened them the past month would just be a nightmare and she would be happy and warm in her bed on the TARDIS, the weird round things on her walls humming as the ship turned on the bedroom lights dimly as she woke.

But no such look. She opened her eyes to find her normal bedroom back in London. Again. Day thirty-two since the Doctor had dropped her off at home. Clara heaved a sad sigh at the memory. Three days after the awkward kiss in the dream-state they had experienced the Doctor had told her she had to go home for a little while. Clara was needless to say completely confused and a little more than scared that he was trying to get rid of her after the kissing. He insisted that it was just something he needed to do – and that to do it he had to hide her and the TARDIS somewhere the aliens he was visiting would not be able to find either of them.

She'd argued that putting her back on earth in her human life would make it twice as easy for anyone to find her if they wanted to – but the Doctor had argued back that it was too easy and therefore exactly why no one would come looking. They parted ways a little sourly – both upset at the situation but too angry with the others stubbornness to express it.

She had no idea where the Doctor had gone, whether or not he was alright and whether he would be coming back. She had no idea where the TARDIS was either, he'd hidden her somewhere else, but Clara couldn't shake the nasty feeling like this was a lot like when he'd sent here away so she would not die on Christmas with him.

She could no longer tell if she was upset with him or furious. She was pretty sure it was a combination of both the feelings battling it out to see which one she felt first.

Clara's family had gotten wind she was back home again thanks to her dad asking her neighbour to keep an eye on her. She'd had to explain to her cousins and her father why she was back for an indefinite amount of time – though she could see her dad was getting hopeful she was back for good – she'd told them the Doctor had a sudden urgent family matter. It had taken over a week of her cousins nagging and her getting fed up waiting for the Doctor to come back.

Clara rolled out of bed again ready to start a new dull day without the Doctor. She was glad she'd spent almost her entire working life creating a big fat savings account that could pay her rent while she was away with him and allow her to buy groceries when she wasn't. She was still hoping he would come back, which was why she'd ignored the way her dad non-discreetly circled ads in the jobs column of newspapers when he visited.

He could have at least left the cat with her, at least then she wouldn't feel so lonely.

Clara frowned at when there was a brisk knock on her door. No one she knew had such a knock – her dad liked to beat out tunes, her cousins where always a single loud band and maybe a few bouts of yelling her name through the wood, the Doctor… well he didn't knock he just landed the TARDIS right in her flat. So curiosity got the better of Clara as she finished buttoning up a white blouse and she opened the door.

Kate Stewart stood on the other side looking a lot out of place in Clara's hall. "Kate?" Clara frowned.

"Miss Oswald, it's nice to see you again" Kate smiled, but there was tension on her face still. "I don't suppose the Doctor is with you is he?"

"Afraid not, is everything alright?" Clara then frowned "How did you know where I lived anyway?"

"UNIT likes to keep track on the Doctors companions in case he's never answering his phone. I found it odd that you where home and he was not with you – nor answering his phone. I don't suppose you know how to get in contact with him?"

They were interrupted briefly by Clara's neighbour shuffling out into the hall, briefly asking Clara if he could borrow her newspaper. Clara knew that later she'd probably get a phone call of her dad asking why some special agent woman was at her door – nosey old neighbour that hers was he'd be straight off to gossip to her dad.

"No I have no idea how to get a hold of him – believe me if I did he'd get more than a yelling at." Clara replied unable to keep a darkness out of her voice.

Kate did give a slight smile at that. "Well maybe you could help us instead Clara, you've dealt with Zygon's before and we're up to our elbows in trouble."

"I thought you'd never ask." Clara grinned feeling that familiar buzz of adrenaline at the start of an adventure.

**~ O ~**

Apparently not all the Zygon's where happy with the treaty over earth the tenth, eleventh and war Doctor had then sign. A few of them had decided to make an attempt to manipulate the House of Commons – of course UNIT got there first, with Clara.

Not that it worked out too well of course. somehow in the middle of their plan the Zygon's had gotten a hold of Kate – holding a gun to her head, Clara was one of the first to comply to their demands and though she absolutely hated it she allowed them to tie her hands behind her back with rough rope same as the other five UNIT agents. Kate was shoved to the ground beside her and both women had matching looks of defiant fury as they glared at their captors – the only difference was a few growing golden specks in Clara's deep brown eyes.

"Stupid humans, thinking a silly scrap of paper could stop us considering you for exactly what you are – cattle!" one of the Zygon's cackled.

An ally of UNIT- another Zygon also bound and knelt with the UNIT soldiers spat "Fear of the Doctor made us sign – common sense had us comply!"

Well at least they didn't lie about whether or not they actually liked humans.

"Well the Doctor is not here to stop us – and by the time he returns it shall be too late, these humans are weak. They cannot do anything against us – especially when we play on their weaknesses!" one of the other Zygon's hissed as its body began to morph, shrinking and reshaping into a form Clara knew. She recognised that face, a child she had taught at Coalhill whose father was some important government man, Clara's blood boiled that the Zygon's had attacked a child, she took little comfort in knowing the child was probably still alive and trapped somewhere so the Zygon could still morph into his shape.

Yet still as her rage grew, so did the gold flecks in her eyes.

Kate noticed when she felt an almost static kind of energy coming from Clara, she saw the brown of Clara's eyes almost drown out to golden orange. Their Zygon captors didn't seem to notice and where busy arguing amongst themselves. "Clara what happened to your eyes?" Kate hissed, keeping her eyes on the Zygon's in case they noticed their interaction.

Clara blinked "What, why? What's wrong with my eyes?"

"They're a different colour. Gold."

"Oh the flecks? That's normal."

"No, no… they're completely gold."

Clara was thoughtful about this until some random piece of equipment was thrown at them by the Zygon's with a sharp "Be quite unless you _want_ to die faster."

Something in Clara growled again. Why was she here and the Doctor not? Where the hell was that mad alien with two hearts and a blue box? Why the hell had he left her behind? Why the hell had his previous selves thought that a simple peace treaty would keep the Zygon's pacified? And why on earth did that Zygon believe kidnapping a child and taking its form was okay?

Clara felt something in her head, like an elastic band snapping. In front of the Zygon's the glass on their little machine exploded. They jumped back, surprised, even Kate and Clara where surprised.

The next thing to smash was the lights, they exploded littering the floor with glass in the now dark room causing startled gasps and words. In the dark Clara felt someone messing with her handcuffs and releasing them – she almost thought it was the Doctor, that he'd come back. Almost.

Later the Zygon's who rebelled against the treaty where taken away to be punished by their own, the peaceful (or as peaceful as a Zygon could get) took them away to their ship disguised as a building in lower London where UNIT could keep their eyes on them.

Clara was sitting in the hallway of a business building that served as UNIT'S disguises. Her former student who'd been caught by the Zygon's sat beside her, they were chatting happily the student – whose memory had been tampered with by UNIT of course – was talking all about the things Clara had missed the last few months at the school. Apparently the new English teacher 'sucked'.

When the ex-students parents came and collected him Clara said her goodbyes to Kate, who wished her well with whatever problem she was experiencing and hoped the Doctor would come back soon.

Clara had a tiny hope when she returned to her flat that he would be sitting on her couch, TARDIS parked in the corner, like nothing had ever happened. There was no such luck – but there was something new.

There was a small parcel wrapped in TARDIS blue wrapping paper sitting on her table with a note. She recognised the handwriting immediately from all those theories he scrawled on his blackboards in the TARDIS.

_'Clara,_

_I came by and you weren't home, I hope your keeping well and safe. I'm sorry I couldn't wait for you, but I just wanted to make sure you where okay. This thing is taking a bit longer than I thought it would, I had to move the TARDIS's coordinates when the previous ones where compromised and thought I'd visit. Your location is still safe however._

_I'll be back as soon as I can be impossible girl._

_Doctor'_

Clara bit her lip, again undecided if she was upset or angry that she missed the Doctor but mostly she was relieved that he had even come back at all. Still a note was not the same as actually speaking to him.

She decided against opening the parcel until after she'd eaten dinner – the Zygon's hadn't exactly been the best hosts after all and she was starving. When she did carefully open the blue paper, a silky fabric scarf felt onto the floor.

She picked it up, it changed colour and she dropped it again from shock. When she picked it up again, the silver-grey fabric turned red and black and practically felt like water to her touch. Very alien, very beautiful.

Clara wrapped the scarf around her neck and grinned just a bit.

_Just a short chapter this one I know, I promise the next one should be longer - and that you'll find out what the Doctor was up too ;) _


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven **

Clara had been playing with the idea that it was her who caused the glass to explode back when she, Kate and UNIT had been captured by the Zygon's. Hadn't the Doctor had a theory that the Huon in her DNA could have amplified her telepathic abilities? She had only joked about moving things with her mind like Matilda however the more she pondered what happened that day the more she wondered if it might actually be true.

It started a few days after the Zygon's. She decided to try something small and after busting nearly all the light bulbs in her flat, and apparently one next door – though this did confirm it was her who killed the lights while they were trapped – she managed to shoot the paper clip off the kitchen table and across the room. She was more than thrilled. Actually she was a little scared, but this kept her mind off the Doctors continued absence.

After another month she'd managed to go from paper clip, to pencil, to small spoon flying from her kitchen table across the room. She had no control over the direction and had few bruises from the spoons – they packed some force! But it was fun.

She'd just been hit with another spoon when there was a frantic knock on the door. She recognised the little voices calling her name and was more than happy to open the door to her oldest cousin, Luke and his three kids – the kids immediately rushed into Clara's flat eager to find something fun.

"Hi Clara I know this is sudden and I should have called but can you watch the kids tonight? Maya's sister has just gone into hospital across the city and she needs me to driver her over and… well you can imagine what it'd be like to bring those three onto a ward and try keep them quiet." Luke looked desperate.

"Oh its fine Luke, you go Maya's probably worried sick" Clara assured her cousin with a smile. He didn't waste time running from her apartment to his car outside.

Clara turned back to the trio. They were invading her shelves looking for a film to watch. Adam, the oldest at age 7 was insisting they watched the movie version of Peter Pan with all the pirates. Bianca, the middle child at 5, was yelling that she was sick of pirates and wanted to watch something with a princess in it. Talisa the youngest at 4 was holding up a DVD she had brought with her, which Clara took with a smile knowing that she'd won the fight over what they watched by not fighting at all.

Clara was watching the kids when she realised something in her head. She was slipping into her old life again far too easily. It disturbed her a bit, what if the Doctor left her too long and someone noticed her differences? She had noticed them easily, especially when speaking with someone like her dad who knew her very well. She was more calculating more… more like the Doctor himself. It made her bite her lip in worry – what if he left her for years? They'd surely notice that she'd stopped aging?

Talisa tugged at Clara's leg, bringing her out of her thoughts. She smiled down at the little girl, albeit a bit sadly before she raised her voice over her brother and sister. "Alright kids!" the other two stopped "Talisa chose he DVD because last time you two chose and she didn't get to pick. She's chosen… blimey I haven't seen this one, Frozen isn't that the one you kids where all excited about?"

Bianca looked appalled "Aunty Clara hasn't seen Frozen?"

"Does this mean Bianca and I get too choose the sweets?" Adam looked hopeful.

"Yes, but I think I only have popcorn?"

"Oh." Adam shrugged "That's what I was going to pick anyway."

Later after the DVD was put into the player and Clara had microwaved two bags of popcorn, she sat on the couch snuggled under a blanket with the three kids, Talisa snuggled under one arm and Adam and Bianca under the other. She watched with amusement when the kids animatedly sang along with the songs and was just as horrified when the prince turned out to be a bad guy. The kids fell asleep before the film ended – she was no better, she stayed awake long enough to see princess Anna punch that prince in the face which was a satisfyingly good ending for Clara and she fell asleep too, her face snuggled into the now greyish coloured fabric of the scarf the Doctor left for her.

**~ O ~**

The TARDIS landed in familiar surroundings with an almost relived sound accompanying her usual wheezing groan and the Doctor stepped out cautiously. He hadn't any idea how long he had been away from Clara, he sincerely hoped it hadn't been long enough to cause an argument. Who was he kidding he knew this was going to cause an argument no matter how much time had passed, he would just have to suck it up and take it.

The bedroom was pitch black, but even his eyes could see that she wasn't in bed and her blanket was missing. Frowning and for a second more worried than he probably should have been, he noticed the glare from the television in the main room and stepped in there quietly instead – knowing that if she was awake he was probably going to get hit with something for scaring her but finding that more preferable to just bumbling around like an elephant in her flat like his previous self would have done.

The TV screen was blue, whatever she was watching had long since ended. He found her on the couch and she wasn't alone. Three young children snuggled into her sides, her arms where draped over them as though protecting them from something even in her sleep.

How long had he been gone? The photos on her walls where the same, he couldn't have been gone that long. It would be absurd to assume these where Clara's children – not matter how much the little brown haired girl on her right side might look like her. Just a bit. The Doctor noticed the tartan blanket on the floor by their feet, it must have fallen off at some point because it was cold enough in here that they wouldn't have kicked it off willingly – then again children did have funny preferences while they were asleep. The Doctor picked the blanket up and carefully wrapped it around Clara and the children, tenderly making sure it was tucked under each of the little children's chins and not covering their faces. He was about to tuck it under Clara's face to keep herself warm but found that rather than being calmly asleep, her brown eyes were staring at him questioningly.

He hesitated, his hands where still on the blanket under her face. "You're awake?" he whispered sounding dumb to himself.

"I wasn't asleep" she replied also whispering "the TARDIS woke me but… I just thought it was a dream."

The Doctor watched as her eyes downcast and got watery. She didn't give him any time to say anything else. She moved, shifting slightly and lifting the smallest child, the little brunette one that looked like her, into her arms. She stood as the child sirred lightly, looking from the Doctor to the toher two children he got the hint and lifted the boy into his arms without waking him and followed Clara to her room where she put the little ones into her bed without waking them. She tucked the first two in while the Doctor went back for the third little girl and put her in with her brother and sister, then he retreated to the bedroom door and watched Clara. She tenderly brushed the hair out of the blonde girls face, her expression soft and loving, she paled a kiss to each of the children's heads and whispered a goodnight before leaving the room, letting the bedroom door stay open a crack.

When she turned back to the Doctor her eyes where shiny with tears again. "I thought you weren't going to come back" she confessed to him still whispering.

"Oh Clara…" he was completely prepared for the hug she threw at him this time and accepted it, pulling her in closer. He turned his face into the top her head, breathing in her strawberry scent "Clara, my Clara… of course I was going to come back."

"Two months is a long time to wait."

"I'm sorry Clara, I'm sorry…"

She pulled away from him a fraction onto to place her hands in either side of his face, just to make sure it was him. He didn't complain, he was almost relived at her touch. He was a bit more startled when she kissed his cheek, and did it again, then his nose and other cheek. She was peppering kisses wherever she could reach. "Please" She kissed his cheek. "Never" she kissed his other cheek. "Send" she kissed his forehead. "Me" she kissed his nose. "Away." She kissed his chin. "Again" she gave a quick peck to his lips.

Clara was going to pull away, thinking she'd gone a bit too far with her enthusiastic greeting, but the Doctors arm at her back tightened and his other hand went to the back of her head holding her still as his lips came down on hers suddenly, hungrily. It wasn't at all soft, it was a fierce battle for control between the pair of them after Clara got over her initial shock. She didn't make it easy for him – but eventually after a few more insisting bites on her lip Clara succumbed to the Doctor with a moan and allowed him control of the kiss.

Her moan seemed the wake the Doctor from the little dream he'd fallen into while he kissed Clara. He remembered that she at least needed to breathe and pulled away leaving them both gasping.

"Wow…" she mumbled, her forehead resting on his.

"Wow" he agreed "I'm just as happy to see you too…"

She glanced at him and grinned "I know, I can feel how glad you are to see me…"

"Clara!" he admonished in a loud whisper to not wake the kids, but he didn't pull away from her like he would have in the past.

"Sorry, but your far too cute when your all flustered like that." She pulled away finally, still in his arms however. She yawned.

"Come on you." He pulled her towards the couch, sitting on it he allowed her to cuddle up to him, her legs on the rest of the couch and her head on his chest, he threw the blanket over her.

A thought occurred to Clara as she lay on his chest. "How have your nightmares been while you were away?"

"I didn't do much sleeping." He replied, his voice did sound exhausted.

"Oh. Sorry."

"Don't apologise. I love hearing your voice." He sounded half asleep even as he said it.

Tentatively as she snuggled down into him intending to be quite and go to sleep herself, she felt the first lick of his mind against hers – a sensation she'd sorely missed as she was going to asleep while he was away. She was curious about whatever could have been in his mind from while he was away, but she didn't pry. She allowed her mind to curl around his channelling all her happy emotions from that moment into the energy she used. He relaxed even further underneath her and within minutes his breathing was heavy and Clara knew he slept. It took her a few minutes before she joined him.

**~ O ~**

The Doctor blinked away quickly. He was being stared at, the sensation alone was enough to wake him immediately and rile him up a fraction before he realised it was just the youngest child that looked like Clara. She was blinking at him now with eyes that defiantly made her not look like Clara – the child's where small and very blue, while Clara's where wide and brown.

He glanced down, Clara was still asleep.

"Hello" he tried to smile nicely at the child, but he'd been told his face wasn't very good at pulling off nice anymore.

"What happened to your eye?" the child was very blunt in asking.

"I was fighting off monsters. Don't worry, I won." He smiled again.

The little girl's eyes narrowed as though she was trying to decide whether or not to believe him. Then she nodded firmly. "Good. You must be the nice man Aunty Clara told about."

The Doctors eyebrows raised in surprise. "Oh?"

"Yes. She said a big grumpy man might land his blue box here and that we shouldn't be scared because he's just here to fight off the monsters so they don't hurt us." The little girl smiled.

The Doctor smiled too, glancing down again at the sleeping Clara and affectionately stroking her long hair over her shoulder. "I'm the Doctor. Your Aunt Clara helps me fight off monsters."

The little girl gave her sleeping aunt a wide eyed stare before she looked back at the Doctor. "I'm Talisa."

"Well it's nice to meet your Talisa."

The little girl bit her lip, and her stomach growled loudly. "Would you get me some breakfast Mr Doctor?" she asked shyly looking at her toes. "Mommy says I have to wait for a grown-up to do it because I smashed a bowl last time."

"Don't worry. I smashed lots of bowls when I was little too." the Doctor assured the girl, gently moving Clara from his lap. Talisa took his much larger hand in hers and walked with him to the kitchen.

Sometime later the sound of a child's laughter woke Clara. She sat up on the couch, the tartan blanket falling from her shoulders as she rubbed the last of the sleep from her eyes. She stood and walked into the kitchen hoping the kids hadn't made a mess – instead the sight surprised her. Adam and Bianca where sitting at the table laughing and clapping. The Doctor stood at the stove holding Talisa in one arm and using a spatula to flip a pancake in the other.

Something in her melted at the sight of the Doctor holding a little girl with long brown hair and little blue eye, but she squashed it with a blink afraid of the kind of wishes that sort of thought would bring up.

She said nothing of course and enjoyed the moment as she watched the Doctor. He noticed her eventually of course when he set Talisa down at the kitchen table with the pancake. "Oh you're awake Clara" he smiled.

Clara caught sight of his face which she hadn't been able to see in the dark last night. The skin around his right eye was red and raw, a large gash over his eye didn't look exactly health either. Thankfully the eye itself looked fine. "Oh my god, what happened to your face?"

"He was fighting monsters!" Adam proclaimed proudly.

The Doctor caught Clara's disapproving face. "I didn't give them details!" he defended.

Clara just rolled her eyes "I don't even think I want to know what you were doing the past two months if you've come back looking like that. I hate it when you go off into danger without me."

"I explained why before I left…" he looked a little pained.

"I know. That doesn't mean I like it anymore."

They both stared at each other for a minute, neither able to say what they wanted to say with the kids around. Kids who'd gone awful quiet and where watching them. Clara, looking for a distraction spotted a spoon on the side of the table and with what limited control of this new telekinesis she had stared at it under her lashes discreetly for a few minutes until it had wriggled off the table and fallen to the floor with a loud clatter making everyone look at it. She used it as an excuse to pick the spoon up off the floor and head to the sink to do the dishes.

Chatter amongst the kids started up again pretty soon – though the Doctor remained quiet – once the kids had finished up their breakfast and had gone to watch cartoons, Clara took the Doctor's hand and lead him to the bathroom.

He sat on the side of the bath when she indicated and silently let her inspect the cut on his head. "Do you think this should have stitches?" she asked "It's very deep."

"It wouldn't matter" he replied quietly, barely more than a mumble "The venom in their claws prevents the wound healing for seventy two hours. My immune system is already battling the venom of course which is why it is not bleeding – but it's also why it hasn't healed any more than that yet."

"Oh." She bit her lip. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For earlier in the kitchen, I didn't mean to upset you or anything…"

"Clara…" his hands came up to her middle holding her there close to him between his legs before she could step away. "You don't have to apologise because I feel the exact same way when you go off…"

"I…" she hesitated. "It just felt a lot like when you sent me home from Christmas."

His grip on her middle tightened, he breathed a little deeply before he loosened a little again. "I won't send you away again Clara if I can avoid it. But if they had gotten hold of you or the TARDIS they would have used you against me."

Clara nodded. "I understand. Being with the man who has a thousand enemies will be hard – but you need to remember it's already changed me, you can't just leave me behind anymore."

There was the sound of Clara's front door opening and closing at the children shouting 'daddy!' Clara pulled reluctantly out of the Doctors grip and went to greet her cousin.

"Hey Luke, everything okay?"

"Oh yeah" Luke smiled "Maya's sister had a beautiful baby boy. Bright red ginger hair already – honestly you should have seen it. Looked like his head was on fire, so much hair for such a tiny thing!"

"Talisa was like that when she was born though wasn't she?" Clara grinned "Though her hair is brown. Thick hair must just run in Maya's family."

"Thanks Clara for watching the kids, I hope they weren't too much trouble."

"Oh no they were fine, we just watched a film."

"And Aunty Clara's friend came back!" Talisa giggled.

"Her friend?" Luke frowned.

"The one in the blue box daddy, he fights monsters!" Adam said as if his dad was being deliberately dumb.

Luke was looking at Clara questioningly. "Uh the friend I'm traveling with, the Doctor, he stopped by last night. I think you met him at Laurens party."

"Oh the old grey one?" Luke teased.

Clara punched him on the arm and he yelped. "I'd rather him than a dumb blonde like you" she retorted.

Luke rubbed his arm teasingly and ruffled her hair like when they were kids. "Oh don't worry little cuz, he kid of suits you. You've always preferred them 'mature' and silver _is_ your favourite colour… and if he makes you happy I aint going to judge."

"Thanks Luke." Clara rolled her eyes.

"Guess this means you're going travelling again?"

"Yeah. I can't wait." Clara grinned hoping the Doctor was still listening. He was too nosy to not be eavesdropping, which worried her about Luke's 'old grey one' comment since he was way to sensitive about being referred to as 'old'. "Will you tell the rest of the family please? I don't want to wait any longer."

"Of course, just remember to drop us all a text or something once in a while and make sure you're not dead."

"Of course." Clara said her goodbyes to Luke – and felt a little sad about saying goodbye to the kids when they cried and hugged her. She waved bye out of the kitchen window as they drove away before she went back to the Doctor in the bathroom.

She crossed her arms and gave him a stern look at his sullen face. "You're going to make some stupid comment about my cousin's 'the old one' joke aren't you?"

"Well he's right, I am old and grey…"

Clara strode across the bathroom, grabbed the Doctor by the lapels of his jacket and brining him forward to she could press her lips to his forcefully. She pulled away just as the Doctor was starting to kiss her back and was satisfied at the little disappointed noise he let out. "I don't care what you look like." She growled at him, letting go of his jacket.

She had walked out of the bathroom by the time he realised what was happening, and it was too late to grab her back. He growled in frustration – and she heard him and smirked. "Now come on Timelord! You owe me, two months on my own! And I hate to help Kate deal with some Zygon's without you!" she stood in the TARDIS doors waiting for him.

He glared at her with a dark look from the bathroom door that had little to do with the adventure she'd had without him. "Anyway" Clara grinned over her shoulder "I have a something to show you, I think you were right about the effect the Huon particles had on me. I learned a few tric-huh?"

The Doctor had come right up behind her. "You can speak in a minute." He said, his voice rough. Clara realised quickly it was the same roughness his voice had when he had been the wolf in the dream world. She had little time to think about it before the Doctor had suddenly pulled her towards him and kissed her roughly – it seemed to be a thing of his to kiss her until she couldn't breathe. When he released her he gave a smug grin and walked past her into the TARDIS. "Now, what where you saying?"

_Oh that infuriating…_ Clara followed him into the TARDIS with a roll of her eyes and a grin on her lips.

_Haha hope you guys are happy - guess it kind of happened :P No dirtiness yet, but they finally freaking kissed in real life and not in a dream world! Apparently all the Doctor needed was to run a risk and miss Clara a lot :P Its been fun to write up the tension between them though, bet It'll be more fun now they can... let that tension out I guess ;) Hope the development with Clara __isn't__too much either - I __thought__it was funny the idea of her flinging spoons __around__mentally, might have her fling them at the Doctor every time he gets cheeky!_


End file.
